


xoxo

by DT_Mars



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-01 22:41:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 43,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4037266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DT_Mars/pseuds/DT_Mars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ah-dap-tay-shon. It was easy for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, friends! :) This story is currently on my ff account under the name D.T. Mars (I'm thinking of changing my name on this site as well), and I decided to share it with you guys. 'xoxo' has always been really interesting to me, simply because it looks super cute at the end of text messages. According to Wikipedia (ha!), the term is used show sincerity, faith, love, or good friendship. Or some sappy shit like that.
> 
> ANYWAY.
> 
> I was going to make this a massive one-shot, but I decided against it because this is the first time that I've ever really written something from the woman's perspective. For some strange reason, I find it easier to write from the man's perspective, and let me just tell you this:
> 
> I cannot gush enough about how much fun this was. I hope that you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction website. *crickets* Haha!

xoxo

* * *

Chapter One

_**.** _

Adaptation (n.) - a change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.

It is arguably the crux of civilization, adaptation is - the  _core_.

How else are people able to survive such volatile and unpredictable weather with each changing season? How else is it possible for humans to fly in airplanes or drive through tunnels, and not have their heads combust due to the popping of their eardrums? How else are humans able to discover new cultures, infiltrate foreign societies and learn different languages?

Ah-dap- _tay_ -shon.

Learning how to adapt was easy for Raven. She had been doing it all her life, after all, from the day she had been born. And this was a necessity. She was the daughter of a ruthless and all-powerful demon bent on world domination, _the_ ultimate source of evil, and was  _un_ fortunate enough to inherit some of his magic. His  _dark_  magic.

She had the power of telepathy and telekinesis. She had the power to cast the most wicked, sinister and disastrous spells. She had the ability to cast  _herself_  into people, into their brains and souls, and make them go  _insane_. And the control over such volatile powers was linked to one thing: her emotions.

She could not get too happy. She could not get too sad. She could not get too excited. She could not get too mad. She could not  _afford to feel too much of anything_ _._  And if she did?

Poof. Shatter.  _Kaboom_.

So she would meditate. Constantly. Day in and day out. Whenever and where ever she could, because she could not risk it. She would force herself to remain calm,  _train_  herself to remain  _absolutely_  calm no matter what the situation was.

It was absolutely integral to Raven's survival that she learned to adapt. She was dangerous.

And she was on a teenage, crime-fighting team of superheroes.

As the only human of the team, it was not strange that Robin would be wary of them all. Cyborg was a bionic man, fully equipped with an interchangeable sonic canon for an arm and a computerized brain that could find information faster than the speed of light. Starfire was an alien princess with the gift of flight, the ability to shoot bolts from her eyes and fists, and the strength of millions of men hidden underneath her lithe physique. Beast Boy had the ability to change into any animal in the world, both known and unknown.

But  _Raven was dangerous,_ and the young leader had always been just  _a touch_ more watchful over her than he was over the others.

Once he learned of the extent of her powers, he did not kick her off of the team. He did not send her away, telling her that her presence on the team was detrimental to the city and to the rest of her teammates. Instead, he began to check in on her. Quite frequently, at that.

His excuse?

_"I'm your leader. It's my job to look after you."_

Of course it was his job to look after her. It was his job to step in whenever Beast Boy's jokes got a little too out of hand, or whenever Starfire invaded her space without meaning to. It was his job to make sure that she was in a good place, both mentally and emotionally. And it had only become his job because he was afraid of what her powers could do, afraid of  _her_ , and she was sure that this was the only reason he assigned her to be his second-in-command.

This was not cynicism, and Raven was not insulted. She was used to it. She was used to people being afraid of her and her powers. She was used to being constantly checked on just in case her emotions would cause her powers to run amok. She was used to there always being an _agenda_. So, she allowed Robin to do his little checkups and allowed him to ask his little questions because  _it was his job_ , and she did what she always did.

She  _adapted_.

_**.** _

Upon joining the Teen Titans, Raven fought  _evil_ villains, and they all paled in comparison to the true evil of Trigon the Terrible. She helped to protect and defend a city that seemed to be prone to crime. She _helped_  people. She used her powers for  _good,_  something that she never would have thought possible with the knowledge of her heritage and impending future looming at the back of her head. And along the way, the unexpected happened: she made friends. These friends, her teammates, became her family.

She attended car shows with Cyborg and he even let her work on the official T-car with him. She found a sister in Starfire, one who  _insisted_  on trips to the mall, girl talks, and eating anything and everything with mustard. She discussed books, movies and poetry with Robin, and found in him a match for her intellect when playing board or word games. She even indulged in Beast Boy's jokes, because even she had to admit - not to him - that some of them were _pretty_ funny.

This was not something that she was used to, this...  _camaraderie_. It made her feel strange, not a bad strange, but a  _good_  sort of strange. Raven could not show it very much, but this made her _happy_. She was  _glad_  to be fighting evil villains, protecting a city prone to crime, and using her powers for good and helping people with her family. It was wonderful.

Until Slade returned.

Of all the villains the team had faced, Slade was undoubtedly and undeniably the  _worst_. He was the most intimidating and the most intelligent of them all. He was always at  _least_  half a step ahead. He was the one who managed to get deep,  _deep_ underneath Robin's skin and into his head. And he was supposed to be gone.

None of the Titans believed it when their leader told them that their most infamous enemy had returned. But he was adamant. He was adamant in his claim that Slade was back. He was adamant in his claim that Slade had set up seismic generators at the key ports of the city. He was adamant in his claim that Slade had cooked up a diabolical scheme to split the city right in half. He was adamant in his claim that Slade was the one who beat him up so badly. He was  _so_  adamant that he threatened his own teammates, his family, not to get in his way on his search for Slade.

_"I know what I saw! I have to stop him! I'm the only one who can! And I'll take down anyone who gets in my way!"_

Robin was frantic. He could not even think clearly. His emotions were all over the place, in a frenzy, and it was not long until he became so adamant that he went crazy. Possibly crazier than her powers could have  _ever_  driven him.

And it was her powers,  _her dark magic_ , that saved him.

_**.** _

The moment that their brains had melded, and consequently formed their bond, was the same, exact moment that he began to make sense.

Raven had always been curious about her mysterious leader, as were the rest of her teammates. He was their arrogant, fearless, protective and complex commander who often forgot just how human he was much too quickly. Curiosity was only natural, especially when one considered to how many lengths he went in order to keep his past and his identity hidden from everyone - villains, teammates, and fellow heroes included.

But when she was forced to thrust herself into his mind, into _him_ , she discovered who her leader was.

His name was not Robin. Instead, he was Richard Grayson, the one and only son born to John and Mary Grayson. Together, the three of them constituted a skilled aerial act for a traveling circus: _The Flying Graysons_. The Grayson's, talented and daring as they were, drew large crowds and dedicated fans in every city they visited. With their act, they managed to maintain a successful career up until the sudden deaths of both John and Mary.

Both had been inadvertently caught up in a heinous web of deceit, a scheme of revenge that had been plotted against the circus owner. All it took was sabotage, the pouring of acid onto their trapeze wires, and  _snap_! The wires fell apart and the two aerialists plummeted to their deaths in front of a stunned crowd - and their eight year old son.

Young Richard was not confused, he knew what was happening. He had witnessed the death of both of his parents with  _his own two eyes_. It happened right in front of him, and he was devastated. But Batman was right there to save the day.

The vigilante and dark knight of Gotham City himself took the young orphan in, and was soon revealed as the billionaire Bruce Wayne. He adopted Richard as his son, and it was not long until the two bonded over the fact that both of their parents had been murdered by criminals. Soon enough, Richard grew to be not only Bruce Wayne's son, but his ward, his protégé, and his sidekick.

Thus,  _Robin, the Boy Wonder_  was born.

His history was dark, and it did not take very long for him to figure out that she knew. After all, he _did_  study under the  _world's greatest detective_. But for someone who valued privacy as much as he did, he did not threaten her to keep quiet. He was not even angry. Instead, he seemed to have accepted the melding of their brains, and in turn, sought out her companionship.

As his second-in-command, it was expected of them to spend long hours alone together. These long hours were spent looking over  _special_  cases. They were spent on long and in-depth conversations concerning ethics and morals. They were spent on the deliberation and careful consideration of a case before they both ultimately decided that _"nothing is too big or too small for the Teen Titans."_  Each time these meetings were adjourned, the leader and his right-hand woman left and went their separate ways to handle their own private affairs.

Their new bond, however, changed that.

Rather than having long, and ethical, and moral, and  _boring_  discussions during their meetings, Robin seemed much more intrigued by the reality of being mentally linked to someone. Discussions about their bond turned into discussions about his past. Discussions about his past turned into discussions about her past. Discussions about her past in the meeting room turned into field trips to his favorite and secret hiding spots around the city, and vice versa. It was not long at all until their relationship flourished, and the transition from leader-comrade-friend to _best friend_ -leader-comrade was almost seamless for them.

Such a shift in their relationship unnerved her a bit. It made her stop and think twice, because this was the same boy who looked after her  _because he was her leader._ Because it was a part of his job description ( _Lead the Titans. Stay strong for the Titans. Look after Raven and make sure that she's happy, because once_  she _blows up, so do_ you _!_ ).

Now,  _that_ , she could openly admit was cynicism.

 _"It's nice to finally have someone to talk to, y'_ _know?"_

_"No one told you to keep your entire life and history a secret, Boy Blunder."_

_He laughed._

Yet as cynical as she was, she could also (and just as openly admit) that it _was_  very nice to have someone to talk to. It was nice to be able to speak openly with someone without the fear of being judged or immediately targeted as a threat. It felt good to have someone encourage her, someone who believed in her when she failed to believe in herself, someone who took the time to try and understand her. This was a friendship that she greatly appreciated, and she knew that he knew it.

Their  _brains_  were linked, after all.

Whenever she grew suspicious of his watchful eye, he no longer replied with _, "I'm your leader. It's my job to look after you."_

His new slogan was now a warm and jovial,  _"I'm your best friend. It's my job to take care of you."_

And he did take care of her. He watched her more closely and was more aware of her, both of these  _much_  more than he was when he was just  _suspicious_  and  _wary_ of her powers. They both knew that she could take care of herself - she was _half demon_ and was not too proud to argue this. But it felt good to have someone looking after her, not because they were afraid of her, but because they cared.

So she always responded with,  _"I don't need you to take care of me."_

And he always shrugged. _"I didn't make up the rules."_

Although they both knew that she would never do such a thing, Raven swore not to speak a word of his history to anyone. But that did not stop her own mind from churning after receiving so much information about the one person she had always been curious about in just a matter of seconds. She mused over everything. All of the things that she saw, and all of the information that she received, and all of the emotions that she felt played over and over in her head - because it made sense.

From the day that she met him, he had been impulsive.  _Incredibly_  impulsive, and the word 'incredibly' is used because not  _only_  was this impulsive streak both difficult to believe and accept, but it was also quite stupid and actually impressive that he was still alive. Along with being incredibly impulsive, he had a tendency to develop obsessions. Intense obsessions that were formed simply because whatever he was obsessing over was not as easily attainable as he would have liked - as he was used to. And this caused temper tantrums, one of which that grew to become so serious that he almost lost his mind due to the inhalation of dust from an old Slade mask that he had kept for himself.

Raven understood.

The way his brain worked, all of the tricky, little twists and turns, and dark caverns in his head began to make sense to her. The impulsive behavior made sense. The obsessions made sense. The temper tantrums that he threw whenever he did not get his way made sense.

She  _understood_. She  _got_  it. She got  _him_.

 _He. Finally. Made_.  _Sense_.

And so, Raven put her own little detective cap on and arrived to her own conclusion:

He was spoiled. Absolutely rotten.

Richard Grayson was not used to not getting what he wanted at the snap of a finger. He was used to instant gratification. He was used to his father's home and mansion, the famous Wayne Manor, and to receiving whatever he wanted and needed on a silver platter. This silver platter would sometimes  _literally_  be presented to him by his butler, Alfred Pennyworth. And this was all because Bruce Wayne saw himself so  _clearly_  in his new son, especially with the deaths of their parents, that he sought to do anything in his power to keep the boy happy.

That last part, Raven did not assume. He told her.

_**.** _

_Ye Old Ice Cream Shoppe_  was the first and only ice cream shop that Raven had ever frequented during her time on Earth. It was very small and very homely, and very rarely was it ever full and bustling with customers, even in the summertime. But now, it was a late Autumn evening, and it was completely understandable that the shop would be practically empty. Who in their right minds would leave the comforts of their warm homes and actually go outside where the temperatures were dropping just to get ice cream?

Well.  _Them_. Of course.

No matter how hot or how cold, and no matter how late or how early, whenever their schedules permitted it, the two friends could almost always be found in their regular booth in the back corner, just in case someone were to spot them. While it was true that the temperatures were dropping, and dropping fast, the two friends had quickly become accustomed to their little ice cream outings after the defeat of Trigon.

Raven had never even tasted ice cream before he offered to bring her to the tiny shop in celebration of her victory and the bright future ahead of her, and  _boy,_  was she  _glad_  that she had accepted his offer. All that talk about victories and the speeches of bright, new futures were pretty and inspiring, especially when they came from her best friend. She appreciated the constant flourishing of their friendship. But she appreciated  _ice cream_ a  _whole_  lot more - and he knew it.

Raven dragged her spoon through her ice cream and brought it to her mouth. Almost immediately, the tasty delicacy began to melt on her tongue, and she sighed in bliss.  _Cookies and cream_. Her favorite. "So, you're a brat?"

A laugh slipped out of Robin's mouth and his dark brows jumped over his sunglasses. He did not have a favorite flavor of ice cream. True to his impulsive nature, he chose to try a new flavor each time they visited, and he was down the large menu by almost one-third. Although he did not have a favorite, he always liked to stir his ice cream before and while eating it. He liked it thick and smooth. Like frozen milk, he said once.

_"Isn't that what ice cream is? Frozen milk with a bit of artificial flavoring?"_

_"Raven, please."_

_She simply smiled._

"The word 'brat' is so...  _restrictive_ ," he began as he stirred his ice cream.

Today's flavor was Very Berry Café Mousse. She suspected that the mixing of berries, coffee, chocolate and fish flavoring would be disgusting, and that the mere idea of it tainted the very nature of ice cream's intended deliciousness. He waved her warning off in the name of  _adventure_. But judging from how long he had been stirring, the adventure was over and he would soon have to admit defeat; his ice cream was looking a bit too much like  _regular_  milk instead of the frozen kind.

"I prefer  _rascal_. Or even whippersnapper."

Raven scoffed, but a bit of a laugh escaped as she took the spoon out of her mouth. "One of those words is used to describe a mischievous or cheeky person. The other, a young and inexperienced person considered to be presumptuous and/or overconfident."

He grinned and the brightness of his smile made him look almost as young as the day they first met. "And they both describe me perfectly, don't you think?" As she allowed herself a low chuckle, he took a moment to grab a napkin and wiped his spoon down before pushing his bowl aside. He was obviously done with  _that_  disaster of a treat. "I'll never be able to understand how you managed to memorize the entire American-English dictionary."

She reached over the table to take the spoon from him, gathering up a large scoop of her own ice cream before passing it back to him. "I've also memorized the Chinese, Arabic, Haitian, Sri Lankan, and Latin dictionaries."

With a hiss, he shirked back, placing a hand over his heart and wincing as if he was in pain, and she smiled. Before their bond, she was sure that he was one of the stiffest sticks in the mud (as if  _she_  had any room to speak), but he was actually quite silly. "No wonder you're such a genius."

Her smile grew at the compliment. "Didn't daddy dearest make you do the same?"

"He tried," he declared with a scoff. At that, he began nibbling on the ice cream on his spoon. Even if it was not as smooth and soft as he normally liked it, he seemed to be liking his new spoon of ice cream much more than his first. "I kind of regret not taking it seriously. He wasn't lying when he said that language is a detective's greatest weapon."

Raven released another low chuckle and picked up another scoop of ice cream. "In Azarath, it was customary for school children to study the languages and cultures of other people. It was supposed to instill discipline while keeping us well-rounded and informed about the world around us. But because I was so dangerous and unstable, my study lessons were a bit... broader."

Robin nodded with a bit of a frown, and she felt his sympathy, understanding, and underlying anger not even through her empathy, but through their bond. It really was nice to have someone to talk to. "Well, you certainly are disciplined, well-rounded and informed." With no preamble, he stuck the spoon into his mouth and his face scrunched up.

A joyous laugh escaped Raven, and she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. Suddenly, she was very glad that the shop was practically empty. She cleared her throat, the remnants of a giggle slipping out here and there at the sight of his red face. "You have to take your time," she teased. "Don't be so impulsive and so  _spoiled_ , Richard."

It was at his request that she called him by his birth name, and she only did this when they were alone out of respect.

He took a moment to compose himself, smacking his lips a few times before swallowing. "That's not funny, Raven."

It was so, and he knew it. "Tell me. How  _disgusting_  is Very Berry Café Mousse?"

"Utterly," came his immediate response. He arched a brow. "What's the definition of that?"

"Completely and without qualification."

"Yup." He nodded in acceptance. "Very Berry Café Mousse is  _utterly disgusting._ You win." He picked his bowl up and threw it into the trash can beside them. "I think I'll go try another one."

She raised a brow and picked up another scoop of ice cream. " _Another_  one? And right after you trashed an entire bowl that wasn't even  _halfway_  done?"

"Something that only a spoiled brat would do, right?"

"A  _rascal_ , you mean."

"Or a  _whippersnapper_." When she rolled her eyes, he stood with a laugh. "Hey. Say what you will, but you just remember who's paying."

"That's only because you never let me pay."

"Come on, Rae. You're my best friend. It's my job to take care of you."

"I don't need you to take care of me, and you know it."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't make up the rules." At that, he leaned over to place a short peck onto her forehead before making his way over to the register to order a new bowl of ice cream.

Raven simply wiped her forehead with the flat of her palm and gathered up another scoop of ice cream.

_**.** _

One of the greatest lessons Raven was fortunate enough to learn as a crime-fighter?

There were certain duties and responsibilities that came with being a superhero. Superheroes had a duty to fight crime, to help people, and to uphold the moral codes of justice as well as they could. That much was obvious. However important those duties were, the superhero's greatest responsibility is not to the citizens they protect, but to  _themselves_.

Everything happened for a reason, and this always meant that a decision had to have been made. There is always a  _choice_. There is always a choice to do right or wrong, to go left or right, to go up or down, to become a superhero or not. Behind this choice, there must be a reason  _why_  this choice was made, and it is absolutely imperative that the superhero knows  _why_  they chose to become a superhero. They must know their  _cause_. They must know  _why_  they fight crime. They must know why they  _chose_ to fight crime.

At just fourteen years old, Raven was forced to make her choice. Trigon was a terrible monster, one that intimidated her  _far_  more than any of the puny villains the team faced every, single day  _ever_  did. This fear became her cause. She fought crime because she was scared. She  _chose_  to fight evil because she was scared.

But now, at seventeen years old, things had changed. Trigon was gone. The best part of it all?  _She_  was the one to make him go away with the help of her  _family._  She could have easily retired after that. She had no reason to fight anymore now that the monster was vanquished. Yet, it was through this monster and its defeat that she learned her  _true_  cause.

Simply put: she liked to help people. And she could help people alone, but she would much rather do it with her family.

There were also certain duties and responsibilities that came with being the protégé of the world's greatest detective.

Guess which  _duties_  and  _responsibilities_  trumped the other.

"You're going to  _Gotham_?" Beast Boy's voice broke the silence of the common room, cracking just a bit in disbelief.

Robin cringed under the weight of his teammates wondering and disappointed looks, wincing and recoiling a bit as he avoided their eyes.

_Avoiding the eyes of your teammates, Richard? Tsk. Don't be so spoiled._

_Raven, I swear._

Raven pulled her hood over her head before her smile could spread, but she was sure that he knew it was on her face.

Unlike her teammates, she was not shocked or surprised by their leader's sudden announcement that he would be leaving for Gotham at the end of the week. He had confided in her a while back that from the very day that this team was founded, his father and mentor made sure to send him one letter every month, and each one was signed off with an urgent appeal for Richard to finally visit home. It seemed that he had finally surrendered.

The young leader rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand, a testament to just how nervous he was. The fact that  _Beast Boy_  was the first to question him seemed to be speaking volumes. Finally, he sighed and met their eyes. "It's not like I'll be gone forever. I  _can't_  be gone forever. I'm the leader, remember?"

Still, Beast Boy's ears drooped and dangled. "I guess..." Suddenly, he sat up with a chirp and snapped his fingers as a bright smile grew onto his face. "You're right! You can't be gone forever because you're the leader. But you  _can't_  be the leader while you're in  _Gotham_. You're only one person." He stood from the couch, saluting with one hand while the other was stiff at his side. "I volunteer myself as the stand-in leader-"

Cyborg was quick to challenge that motion.

The bionic man drew a leg back and kicked Beast Boy's backside, sending the green changeling flying. He stood tall with his fists at each side and a triumphant grin on his face, barely registering the pile of the pots and pans crashing in the kitchen accompanied by Beast Boy's groaning _duuuude_. "If anyone's fit to stand in for Robin while he's away and visiting old Batsy, it's _me_."

Starfire frowned. She hesitated. Then she looked into the kitchen, watching and waiting until Beast Boy made a sound, signifying that he was, indeed, alive and kicking. So, she returned to the conversation. "Friend Cyborg, I pray that you do not take any of the offense with what I am going to say. But if anyone is fit to take Robin's position as the leader while he is visiting the Man of the Bats, it is Raven, is it not? She is the second-in-command, and it is customary that she should take charge whenever and if ever the leader is away or unfit to lead. Correct?"

Cyborg's grin deflated into a rather  _un_ -triumphant frown. He sighed. "Star's right."

"Star is very right," Robin agreed. He consciously and deliberately ignored the big, green elephant tiptoeing its way into the common room and behind Cyborg.

Star flew into the air with a laugh, hovering above her previous seat on the couch as she clapped her hands. "How glorious! Friend Raven is to be our new and temporary leader!"

The elephant blew its trunk before wrapping it around Cyborg and tossed the bionic man aside like a toy. Then the elephant left and a confused Beast Boy scratching at his head took its place. "Raven's the stand-in leader?"

"Only if she wants to be," Robin clarified as he looked to her. "Do you?"

It was a miracle that Raven had not snorted right then and there. As if  _she_ wanted to be the head of this team. She loved them, she did, but they were a handful and she was including herself in that handful.

 _She_  did not want to be the one playing mediator whenever fights broke out over lost video games, cheated bets, and whoever's night it was to wash the dishes. _She_ did not want to be the one launching full investigations whenever the T-car received as little as a smudge of dirt on the tire.  _She_  did not want to be the one finding random secret stashes of mustard all around the huge Tower. She  _definitely did not_ want to be the one keeping track of the steadily growing mold colony that was threatening to take over Beast Boy's entire room. Villains and paparazzi were the  _last_ things she  _ever_  wanted to think about.

Nope. No way. Raven was used to just being a part of the team, and she was just fine with it staying like that. She saw what horrible headaches Robin got. She healed them.

"No thanks," she politely declined. She ignored the way Robin's mouth turned up ever so slightly. "Cy can have it."

Cyborg, who had been stealthily creeping up behind Beast Boy, stopped with a gasp of glee and a smile fit for a pageant queen.

Starfire spun in the air with another, "Glorious!"

Beast Boy simply fell onto the couch, his ears drooping lower than before. " _Duuuuuuude_!"

"It's settled," Robin declared, and he grabbed Cyborg before the bionic man could get to using Beast Boy as the makeshift football in his victory dance. "We have much to discuss."

And it was a long and lengthy discussion. Starfire, the master timekeeper that she was, predicted this as soon as the door shut behind Robin and Cyborg. So, she took both of her remaining teammates into the kitchen and began working on not one, but  _three_  puddings. A pudding of celebration for Cyborg, a pudding of departure for Robin, and a pudding of rejection for Beast Boy.

 _"Hey!_ Starfire _! I was_ not _rejected!"_

In its entirety, the production of the three puddings took five hours. Five _whole_ hours of mixing mashed potatoes, eggs (and a bit of their eggshells "to ensure that little bit of  _kick_!"), that weird and furry blue stuff that grew in the back corner of the refrigerator and mustard. Lots and lots of  _mustard_. By the end of it all, the Tower smelled nasty.

Not disgusting. Not even gross.

 _Nasty_.

Robin reclined into his seat at his desk, snorting a laugh out at Raven's recounting of the pudding debacle while she sat on his bed. He was doing work, and  _was_  is the operative term because he stopped as soon as she came. Visiting each other's rooms at the end of the day was not an adaptation, at least not on her part. It was more of a comfort, and it was very rare that she would ever be the one to come and visit him. He was usually the one to come and visit her, but she was sure that tonight was different simply because he was going to be leaving soon.

He sighed and there was a light smile on his face. He stretched his legs out in front of himself as he relaxed into his seat. "It might have been nasty, but the puddings are  _always_  nasty. It's Starfire. Who can say 'no' to her?"

Raven could only roll her eyes because it was true. No one ever could say 'no' to that girl. Even if there were  _three_  puddings involved. "You and Cyborg are just lucky that your little meeting prevented you both from having to experience that."

There was a pause.

"Truth?"

"Truth."

"Our meeting only lasted about an hour and ten minutes, and we could smell the pudding about thirty minutes before the meeting actually ended. Once the meeting was actually over, we snuck through the garage and went to the park."

Raven's jaw dropped.

"And we played one  _intense_  game of basketball-"

"I _knew_ it!"

"You... You  _knew_  that we went to the park and played basketball?" The corners of his mouth turned up and into a curious smile. "Well, I know that you're a  _genius,_  but-"

"No," she interrupted exasperatedly. Honestly, for such a smart boy, it was easy to forget that he was just that: a  _boy_. "I knew that the meeting couldn't have possibly lasted five hours. I don't care what's being discussed, it makes no sense that  _one_  meeting between you and Cyborg would last five hours."

He held his hands up in defense, but his wobbling mouth took away from his intended sincerity. "That smell was just... What's the definition of atrocious?"

"Horrifyingly wicked."

He snapped his fingers with a nod before slapping his hands flat onto his thighs. "Yup.  _Perfect_. There we go. _Horrifyingly w_ _icked._ Like Freddie Krueger's evil manifested into a scent."

A laugh slipped out of her mouth and he grinned. Before he could say anything about her forgiving him, because she just knew that he would, she pointed an accusing finger at him. "That isn't fair. If I had to suffer through the puddings, why should you be excluded?"

His face contorted into a look that could only be described as _pure disgust,_  but he allowed himself a chuckle. "Fine, fine. I'll eat all three for breakfast in the morning."

That sounded pretty fair to her. She smiled and nodded in acceptance before a yawn slipped out, and she covered her mouth with a hand. "Later, I think you mean," she corrected as she looked to the clock sitting on his desk. "It's already two."

He made a noncommittal sound as he looked to the clock before slipping his mask off and setting it onto the desk. The first time she saw his eyes, she was shocked. Literally shocked into silence because he seemed to never take that mask off. And his response to her stunned silence: "I trust you."

_"Why did you choose me to be your second-in-command?"_

_"Because I trust you. Why else?"_

_"I beg to differ."_

_"Go on and differ, then."_

_"You only chose me to be your second-in-command because you were afraid of my powers and wanted to keep an eye on me."_

_A snort. "As if I would_ ever _be afraid of little, old you and your sparky boom-boom powers."_

 _"I do_ not _have 'sparky boom-boom' powers."_

_Another snort. "Right. Sorry."_

_"...and I'm not_ that _little."_

_This snort was the loudest of them all._

As he stood from his seat, he stretched his arms out, popping and cracking a few things here and there with a yawn before making his way over to his bed. He laid down, slipped under the covers, and with a sigh, he rested his arm over his eyes. "Are you staying?"

The first time they shared a bed, it was completely inadvertent and only because they had both fallen asleep while talking. When she woke up the next morning to find him in her bed, she did not know what to think. She was actually still a bit too sleepy to really do anything but attempt to blink the sleep away. But, of course, like the spoiled brat he was, he did not think anything of it. He laughed, told a  _stupid_  joke and went right back to sleep.

This time, she was tired once again. Too tired to even teleport to her room, and it was all because of Starfire's  _nasty_  puddings. So although he could not see it, Raven nodded and slipped underneath the covers beside him. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she began to feel just how tired she really was and the effects of the late hour. It was not strange that the time would just pass them by like this. Time always seemed to fly by with her best friend. And he was going to be gone at the end of this week.

"How long will you be gone?"

"Just a few months."

A frown immediately began to tug and pull at her lips, and the feeling of embarrassment began to bubble in her stomach. Honestly, it was not like they had never been separated before. They had been separated from each other plenty of times. But this time, they would be separated while they were best friends. As babyish as it was, the thought really unnerved her a bit, enough for her to blurt out:

"How long is just a few months?"

His jaw ticked before he removed his arm from over his eyes. They were bright and blue and his thick, dark brows were knitted above them in concern. "Rae... It won't be for long."

 _Ugh_. The way he said that just made it sound like she was going to be _counting the days_  until he would return. She released a rather uncharacteristic huff and turned to lay onto her back, glaring at the ceiling. "I know that. I was just asking a question. Stop trying to baby me."

"As smart as you are, you should know that I can't do  _that_."

The smile was clear in his voice and it made the corners of her mouth twitch upwards. What he said was the truth: he really could not stop trying to baby his best friend. Surprisingly enough, as much as she argued that she could take care of herself (half demon, _hell-ooo_!), it was nice to have someone constantly looking out for her. It was  _easy_  to adapt to this.

"It's just that..." She released a sigh, a slow and even breath past her lips. "We've been separated before, this isn't the first time. You just weren't my best friend those other times. This is the first time, and I guess it just clicked."

It was silent before he gave a sigh of his own. A heavy one. He shuffled in his spot before settling down. "I would be lying if I said that I hadn't thought of that either. I'm just glad that I wasn't the one to bring it up."

Although she made an attempt to fight it, her smile grew. It was nice to know that they were on the same page, and it was very rare if they were not, because, well, their brains were linked. She turned to rest onto her side and face him, only to find him in the same position. "But you have to go."

"But I have to go," he repeated a bit somberly. "I don't want to, but I have to." He hesitated, his fingers dancing between the two of them with little taps on the bed. "Listen, it won't be long, okay? Just a few months, enough time to get Bruce off of my back, and I promise I'll call every day."

She knew that he would. They never went one day without speaking. So, she nodded, but it was paired with a tiny scowl. "Didn't I tell you to stop babying me?"

"Didn't  _I_  tell you that I can't do that?" At that, he took her into his arms, bringing her into an almost bone crushing hug as he smothered her face into his chest.

"Richard," she deadpanned, her voice muffled. "You spoiled brat."

He laughed, and the vibrations of it made his chest rumble against her cheek. His arms loosened just enough for her to be able to poke her head out and meet his eyes with a glare. His laughter grew, and she just knew that her glare would have had  _much_  more of an affect if she had not been so sleepy. "I'll miss you, Rae."

She ignored his growing smile, rolled her eyes and hid her face back into his chest. Whatever. He was just lucky that she was so sleepy. "I know. I'll miss you, too."

He simply hugged her closer and placed one, single kiss onto her forehead. "Don't worry," he spoke quietly as he unwound an arm from around her, and he wiped her forehead with the flat of his thumb. "I got it."

A tired smile slid onto her face. As annoying as he was, she had to admit that she really would miss her best friend. She also had to admit that he was very warm, and that he smelled very,  _very_  good. She would miss him a lot, and not only because he made a such good comforter.

The tips of his fingers grazed her scalp and she released a soft sigh when he began to play with a few tendrils of her hair. He buried his nose into her hair and sniffed twice. "Your hair smells good."

"I had to shower to rid myself of the pudding smells." He chuckled, and she felt herself inching closer and closer to sleep. The feeling of his fingers in her hair paired with his warmth was almost a guarantee she would not be awake for much longer. "The three of them are all disgusting, and each in their own, special way. You don't have to eat them."

"No," he said. His voice was fading a bit. Just a bit. "I said that I would eat them for you, and I will."

She tried to snort, but it came out as a weak sigh. So, she resorted to slurring an even weaker, "You're so  _spoiled_ , Richard."

His laughter was the last thing she heard before she finally gave into the exhaustion and fell asleep.

_**.** _

"Friend Robin, I am delighted that you are enjoying your pudding of departure along with the puddings of celebration and rejection!"

"For the last time: I was  _not_  rejected-!"

"Yeah, Star. It's all...  _delicious._ And  _none_  of it smells atrocious."

"Splendid! You will be having another bowl, then. Yes?"

Robin paled.

Beast Boy took out his camera.

Starfire smiled brightly for her photo op.

Raven snorted.

Cyborg dry heaved over the sink.

_**.** _

The days leading up to Robin's departure were fast and quick. They felt short, as they always did in the summertime. These days, however, felt much shorter, and everyone agreed that it was only because their leader and friend would be leaving. He  _was_  leaving - but not without leaving them with a few parting words first.

Their leader's parting words for them were not very comforting, to say the least. But they were  _his_  parting words. So, as they all stood on the bridge that connected the city to the great Tower and watched him mount his bike, they took it all into great consideration.

"Beast Boy,  _don't bother Raven_. Don't give her any reason to kill you, or send you or your corpse to another dimension."

"Raven,  _don_ ' _t_   _kill Beast Boy._ Don't send him  _or_  his corpse to another dimension either."

"Starfire,  _please_  try to keep the secret mustard stashes and bringing new animal friends to the Tower at a minimum."

"Cyborg... Please don't let Beast Boy bother Raven. Don't let Raven kill and/or send Beast Boy or his corpse to another dimension. Keep an eye out for any mustard stashes because they  _will_  stink up the place, and so will the feces of cute and furry woodland animals. I've left everything that you will ever need on my desk, so everything should be just fine. And don't worry, Raven heals headaches."

He revved his engine, and with a wave, he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

xoxo

* * *

Chapter Two

**_._ **

_"...and there's this one villain who's been messing with the big guy for a while now. He calls himself- get ready for it..._ The Joker _. Trust and believe me when I tell you that this man is completely and utterly batshit-"_

"Richard, your mouth."

_"-insane. The Joker is completely and utterly_ insane _, Raven."_

There was just the  _slightest_  hint of underlying resentment in his reluctant ( _blatantly_ reluctant) correction. As a young leader who practically gave criticisms away as if they were a hot commodity wrapped in a big, red bow, he prided himself in being able to accept or apply any criticisms that ever came his way -  _in_   _grace_. But he certainly did not appreciate being constantly corrected on something as trivial as his foul mouth, and this was something to be expected from such a spoiled and rotten brat. Both the attitude  _and_  the dirty mouth.

For this, Raven allowed a smile to slide itself right onto her face as she watched the ceiling of her bedroom.

As he promised, he made sure to call her every single day, and they both knew that whether he was in Gotham or right beside her, he  _would_  find a way to bother and check up on her. This was not something that she wanted to admit (not  _out loud_ , anyway), but she was relieved that he had stuck to his promise.  _Immensely_  relieved. It was not because she ever thought for even a split second that he would break a promise to her, even one as small as that, but because she was  _almost_  as attached to him as he was to her - and he certainly was attached.

Raven had grown so used to seeing him every day. She had become so accustomed, so  _perfectly_  adapted to having him there with her all the time,  _physically_ , that she had been thrown in for such a loop the morning after he left. The realization that he really was gone (and in  _Gotham_ , no less) was almost sickening.

In one word, having him gone was:  _disconcerting_.

And she knew that she was using the correct word because she had  _several_  versions of the entire American English dictionary memorized.

Along with being a spoiled and entitled brat, Richard was also the  _direct_  personification of the word 'overprotective'. He constantly worried for her and watched over her, and she constantly chided and berated him for it.

_"How many times must I remind you that I am a half-blooded demon?"_

_"Only half. The other half is human."_

_"And I can take care of that side just fine."_

_"Come on, Rae. I'm your best friend; it's my job to take care of you, and that includes both the human and demonic sides of you. I didn't make up the rules."_

It was absolutely  _infuriating_ , because even as she was  _chiding_  and  _berating_  him, they both knew that at the very back of her head, she liked to have someone who so fiercely longed to protect her and keep her safe. He was her very best friend, the best that she had ever had, but never had she expected to become so attached to him. Or to anyone, for that matter.

The word itself had a few definitions, but the first and primary defined " _attached_ " as being " _joined or fastened to something_ ". The only thing that legitimately  _joined_ or _fastened_  Raven to her best friend was their bond, the linking of their minds. But she had never been attached to  _anything_  before, much less an entire  _person_. And this...  _attachment_  was not a thought or feeling that sat well with her. Not at all.

Attachments were dangerous. Especially to someone of her...  _lineage_.

_"Do your best to remain detached."_

_"Meditate. Stay calm. Stay far, far away. You would not want to harm anyone. Or yourself."_

_"Be wary and watchful of whom you open yourself up to, young one, lest you suffer heartbreak."_

Yet there she was. Eighteen years old, and completely and unabashedly attached not  _only_  to her best friend, but to her job, and to her team and family. It was almost embarrassing, but she knew that none of them would ever abandon her over something as insignificant as her heritage. And as disconcerting as this entire  _attachment_  situation was, it was even more  _pathetic_  that it had taken him going to Gotham City, a city that sat on the _direct_ opposite coast of Jump City on these blessed United States of America, for her to realize this attachment.

She missed going on random ice cream trips with him. She missed those  _stupid_ forehead kisses and wiping them off in faux-disgust, or even having him wipe them off for her. She even missed insulting him and calling him a spoiled brat _to his face_ , because doing that over the phone, or even through text messages, simply was not the same.

_"Earth has made you soft, daughter,"_ she could imagine Trigon taunting her.

She was not  _counting the days_ , but she was  _this_ close _._  It was  _absolutely pathetic_ , and endlessly embarrassing. But judging from how frequently he reached out to her, it was obvious that he was not faring any better than she was. It was a bit petty, but that made Raven's smile grow as she continued to watch her ceiling. Just a little. She adjusted the phone over her ear and the very tip of a stray lock of hair grazed her shoulder, tickling it ever so slightly. She took it between her fingers, inspecting it with something stuck right between disdain and acceptance. Perhaps she should just let it grow this time. Haircuts were obviously no match for her hair follicles.

With a dismissive shrug, she tucked the stray tendril behind her ear. "What is it that makes The Joker  _so_   _insane_?"

He scoffed.  _"What_ isn't _insane about The Joker? He's a psychopathic serial killer with no sense of right or wrong. He hasn't got one empathic bone in his body, not a single one. Murdering is just... It's just all one, big_ joke _to him."_

A shiver ran down Raven's spine and she sat up in her bed, looking to her window. The moonlight that shined through the lone drape cast shadows onto her carpeted floor, shadows that normally comforted and amused her. Needless to say, they were not so comforting  _or_  amusing at the moment. "That doesn't sound right. How is it possible for his  _entire_  body to be lacking in _at least_  one empathic bone? Everyone, no matter how evil they are, is able to both correctly and incorrectly discern the feelings and emotions of others. That's what makes it fun for some villains."

He hummed, and she just knew that he was smiling. _"Are you alone?"_

"Why?"

_"I don't want to scare you."_

She tore her eyes from the window.  _Right_ , she thought as she combed her fingers through her hair, pushing it back and away from her face. They had a bond. Even when he was on the opposite coast. With a short sigh, she pulled her hand out of her hair, twirled a finger in the air, and the shades closed over the window with a harsh  _tch!_ sound _._

You know, just in case.

"I'm not a baby. Just say what you need to say."

_"Rae, seriously-"_

"Richard."

It was quiet, but the hesitation was clear and evident, even over the phone. Finally, he released a long sigh, and Raven found herself fighting off a smile. He never really could deny her anything.

_"He's a mass murderer,"_ he began cautiously.  _"And I'm not just saying this. The Joker is a_ classified _serial mass murderer, and in his documents it is written down - in print - that this is a man who holds no remorse for his victims. He's always..._ cackling _or smiling that creepy smile after he's committed a crime, and he is_ always _smiling. Like I said before, it's all a big joke to him."_

That very same shiver made its way down her spine once again, this time, slower and much more potent. Almost as if someone was sitting right there and behind her on the bed, trailing the very tip of their finger along the length of her spinal cord. She looked over to the window and shot a hand out toward it, dark threads of her powers reaching out to inspect the window and its lock, the shade, and the drape. Once she was sure that the window was locked and that no one was there, more specifically,  _The Joker,_  she allowed her hand to fall onto the bed and fisted the sheet that covered her, pulling and hugging it closer to herself with a hard swallow.

_"Rae?"_

A shocked gasp escaped her and she jumped, that same stray lock of hair escaping and tickling her shoulder for the second time. Maybe growing her hair out would not be such a good idea.

_"You there? Are you okay?"_

"Yes," she blurted out as she pushed her hair back. Suddenly, she regretted urging him to tell her this little bedtime story. It was 2:47 AM - proper spooking hour. She cleared her throat. "I'm fine. When did your father first encounter The- him?"

There was a pause.

_"Raven, I'm not going to finish this story if all it's doing is scaring you straight shitless."_

She blinked at the brazen accusation. Although, his accusation could not really be called  _brazen_  if it was true. She could not even utter the man's name. So, she looked to the window one last time, rolled her eyes, and fell back into the comfort of her bed. "If you don't finish, my brain is going to fill itself up with bad thoughts. You might as well finish. And watch your mouth."

He chuckled. It was low in pitch, significantly lower than it had been when he first left. It was a soothing sound, one that helped to relax her a little.  _"Fine. Let's see... When did my father first encounter him? All I know is that one night, the big guy was called to a chemical plant to look into a disturbance. There were three criminals there working on only God knows what. Well, God and the big guy. Anyway, security was tipped off, and before you know it, there ends up being a huge shoot out. Two of the three criminals were fatally shot, which leaves us with...?"_

"One?" A brow jumped. "The Joker?"

The sharp snapping of his fingers was heard.  _"You said it, little one, not me."_

"You spoiled and entitled  _brat_ , I am _not_  that little-!"

_"Two out of three leaves us with one,"_ he interrupted a  _bit_  too happily.  _"The Joker isn't really_ The Joker  _yet. For now, he's just the third criminal. He tries to escape, but he's stopped by none other than...?"_

She rolled her eyes off to the side, a chuckle slipping out of her mouth. "Batman?"

_"The third criminal was stopped by none other than_ Batman _,"_  he confirmed.  _"The man was so terrified that he actually jumped over a railing and into a vat of chemicals. Not really fit for a life of crime, if you ask me. Anyway, he jumps into the vat and when he comes out, his skin is chalky white, his lips are ruby red, and his hair is as green as Beast Boy's eyes. And boom!"_

Raven gasped and sat up in her bed, clutching the sheet closer to herself as she looked to the window.

_"The Joker was born."_

The sharp and prickling feeling of embarrassment trickled over her, but she continued to watch the window. With a quiet sigh, she laid back down, rubbing her cheek into her pillow in a vain attempt to force out any possible images of The Joker. "That still doesn't explain the insanity. So, he's ugly now. Whoop-de-doo. Ugliness doesn't warrant or excuse the murdering of others."

He laughed. The sound of this one soothed her a bit, too.  _"Rumor has it that it wasn't the accident that drove him crazy. It was his family. Or rather, what_ happened _to his family. He never really_ was _a thug, even while he was working with those criminals. In fact, the only reason that he was working with those guys was because he needed to make some extra cash for his family: him and his pregnant wife. But while he was at the plant, she died in a household accident."_

A frown began to tug at her lips at the revelation. "And now his only solace is murdering, with no remorse. That's... sad."

He scoffed in disbelief.  _"Okay, Raven. First of all, whatever's going on with The Joker is not_ sad _. As I said before, The Joker is just_ completely _and_ utterly _motherfucking batshit-"_

Raven sat up with a huff. "Honestly, Richard, your mouth is  _disgusting_!"

He released a long and extended wheeze, right before his loud and uproarious laughter escaped.

She tried to fight it, but a smile was growing onto her face. The very same lock of hair grazed her shoulder once again, although it did not bother her much this time. So, she pushed her hair back with a low chuckle and fell back onto her bed, shaking her head as she watched her ceiling. "Your mouth wasn't this filthy before you went back to Gotham. Did you notice?"

_"No,"_  he answered, the dregs and remnants of his laughter still evident in his voice. _"Not until you did."_

Raven's smile grew. Her noticing something before he did certainly did not come as a surprise to her. "Well, you  _have_  been there for about a year now. It's only right that your hometown would grow on you again."

A comfortable silence passed between them, and she took the moment to check the window again. One last time. She pointed a finger and dark threads of her powers danced into the air, twirling and curving, before reaching the window. They raised the drape and shade in their inspection before both delicately fell back down with a soft  _whoosh_. No chalky white skin, no ruby red lips, and no hair as green as Beast Boy's eyes. Good.

_"Has it really been almost one year? Already?"_

And it was then that Raven realized that while the silence had been comfortable for her, it had been guilt ridden and filled with inner turmoil for him. As it should have been. Who told him to stay in Gotham for so long?  _She_  certainly did not, and so, she would not feel any pity for him.

"Yes," she replied as she pulled the covers over herself with a short yawn. "It has."

There was a sigh, a heavy sigh.  _"Rae, I swear I didn't mean to stay this long. It's just that... Gotham-"_

"Gotham is my hometown, and I'm back," she completed for him. "You're back. I know. You tell me that every night."

_"I'm sorry."_

Raven wanted to tell him that it was okay, that it was his hometown and she understood. But telling him any of that would just imply that she missed him. And she did miss her best friend. However, as much as she missed him, this whole  _attachment_  business was  _not_  something that she wanted to admit was real. She was actually  _this close_  to telling him to stay over there.

"Don't apologize to  _me_. Call  _Starfire_  and apologize to  _her_."

_"What?"_ He sounded surprised.  _"Why do I need to apologize to Star? She's not my best friend. You are."_

The corners of her mouth turned up. "True, but she  _is_  the one who gained nearly fifteen pounds by drinking one bottle of mustard every morning in an effort to commemorate your memory and mourn your departure. It all went straight to her chest, and although I'm pretty sure that they're starting to get in the way whenever she fights, her boobs look  _really_  good."

_"Raven!"_ he gasped with a laugh, and she simply shrugged. Starfire's boobs _did_  look  _really_  good.  _"What else am I missing?"_

"Let's see," she began, tapping her chin with the tip of her finger as she thought before she released a short, "Ah. Along with having awesome boobs, Star has also kept the furry animal friends  _and_  the mustard stashes to a minimum. And since Beast Boy's eighteenth birthday is coming up, he's thinking of changing his name to something a lot  _manlier_."

A snort. _"Oh, really?"_

"Mh-hmm. He's already narrowed it down to three choices."

_"I've got to hear this."_

She chuckled. "Beast Man, Beast _-ly_  Man, and Changeling."

He snickered. _"Starfire's boobs are super, the Tower no longer reeks of animal feces_ or _spoiled mustard, and Beast Boy's having an identity crisis. How's Cy doing?"_

"He's wondering how you put up with it all," she declared, and he laughed. "His headaches aren't nearly as bad as yours were and he doesn't get them as frequently as you did, either. But he's doing a very good job as the stand-in leader."

_"I knew that he would. What about you? I'm sure that you must have some sort of mourning ritual for your best friend."_

Sometimes she visited the ice cream shop when she was craving Cookie's and Cream. But it was not the same without him.

"No. I don't miss you  _that_  much. Not  _nearly_  enough for a  _mourning ritual_."

_"Raven."_

An impish smile quirked at her lips and she turned to lay on her side, shutting her eyes as she did so. "When are you coming back?"

_"Soon."_

She snorted. "I'm beginning to  _hate_  that word, you know? It can't be 'soon' for a year."

_"Ah-ah-ah. You said '_ about _a year', remember?"_

"Richard."

He gave a low chuckle. The sound of it was not helping her to stay awake, at all.  _"Fine. How about... 'It's a surprise'?"_

"That's a new one."

_"All in the name of adventure."_

Oh, right.  _Adventure_. She would not have been surprised if he was having  _plenty_  of those in Gotham. "All in the name of adventure," she agreed.

Another silence passed between them, and she was sure that it was absolutely comfortable on both ends this time. Soon enough, she found herself nearing closer and closer to sleep. He would not mind if she fell asleep on the line. It would not be the first time.

_"I miss you, Rae."_

His voice jolted her awake, right before she could give into the fatigue. She blinked twice with another yawn and pulled the covers closer to herself, burrowing her body deeper into the bed. "I know. I miss you, too."

_"You sound_ ridiculously _tired."_

"That's because I  _am_  ridiculously tired."

He snickered.  _"Fine, I'll let you go to sleep. I just have to ask you one more thing."_

She nodded into her pillow, allowing her eyes to fall shut as she did so. "What is it?"

_"Do you really feel bad for The Joker?"_

Raven opened her eyes, rolling them up to the ceiling as she turned to lay onto her back. Of course he would bring  _that_  guy back up as soon as she managed to forget about him. She sighed and ran a hand down her face before scratching at her scalp. "Yes. If what you're telling me is true, that this man is a psychopathic serial killer who holds no remorse for his victims, and that he became this way, not because of his extreme disfiguration, but because of the death of his family? Yes, I pity him. Especially if his only outlet is to brutally murder others with no cause. It's sad."

Ugh. She really  _was_  getting soft.

It was silent for a moment before he gave a soft and thoughtful, _"Hm. I've never thought of it that way before. That's... That's really sweet of you, Rae."_

She scoffed and looked to the window. "Yup, that's me. The sweet, lovable half-demon from another dimension who nearly brought on the end of all mankind as we knew it. Just call me ' _Cherry_ '."

_"Raven,"_ he chided with a laugh.  _"That's not true. You're very sweet."_

Another scoff made its way out of her mouth, but a smile grew. Even if she did not really believe it, it was nice to hear. "Thanks."

He made a noncommittal sound. _"I guess I should let you go now. But... Just listen. I know how much you hate scary stories-"_

"I hate scary  _movies_ ," she corrected.

_"But you're brilliant, and everyone knows that with a brilliant mind comes a vivid imagination. A scary story can just as easily turn into a horror movie with a brain like yours. Just... Just call me if you have a nightmare. Okay? You know I'll pick up."_

Raven hesitated as she continued to watch her ceiling. The usual,  _"I don't need you to take care of me"_ , was right on the tip of her tongue. She ran a hand through her hair, and with a sigh, she turned to lay onto her side once again. "I know. Maybe I should have saved story time for when the sun was out."

There was not an _'I told you so'_ or any arrogance in his response, not even a hint. Instead, there was a comforting laugh.

With a smile, she shut her eyes. "Don't leave yet. Okay?"

_"Of course. I'm always here for you, Cherry."_

"I wasn't serious about that, you spoiled brat."

He laughed.

_**.** _

_Ring! Ring!_

"Hello?"

_"Raven, you snored_ so  _hard last night."_

"...you call, and this is the first thing you say to me?"

_"You were all,"_  he followed with a variation of snorting and choking sounds.

"Richard, you are so  _spoiled_!"

He laughed. _"_ You're _the one who fell asleep with the phone on!"_

**_._ **

The moment that Beast Boy changed his moniker to  _Changeling_  in order to declare his newfound adulthood, and even newly found  _manhood_ , was the very same moment it became clear that, collectively and as a group, the team was growing up. They were no longer kids, no longer reckless teenagers who fought crime for a living. Now, they were reckless  _youths_ , bordering on the strip that sat right between adolescence and adulthood, who chose to dedicate their lives to fighting for justice, destroying evil, and to the protection of all citizens. Because of this, all four members decided that it was due time for a necessary change.

Cyborg took ahold of his authority as the stand-in leader and declared that the  _Teen Titans_ were no more.

They were now  _The Titans,_  guardians of Jump City, and wherever else they were called for duty.

Richard approved of the decision, praising Cyborg's take-charge attitude. But it was not like he could do anything even if he did  _not_  approve. Not only was he all the way in Gotham, but simply put, he was no longer the leader. And he had not been the leader for one full year and a few months.

"Do you think that he is coming back?"

Raven's brow jumped at the question, but her eyes remained shut, allowing her to fully appreciate the soft strokes of the brush that Starfire was currently running through her deep plum colored locks. Surprisingly enough, she actually did let it grow out, only to come to the disheartening discovery that long hair was pretty high maintenance and bothersome to care for, even if all she did was keep it in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. It was not as long as Starfire's, but it was much longer than Raven was used to. For this reason, and this reason alone, she allowed her friend to care for the thick tresses for her. That, and because having someone other than herself messing with her hair felt pretty good.

"Who?"

"Robin," Starfire answered from behind Raven. She hesitated in her brushing, the shuffling of her knees making the cushioning of the couch underneath them both shift and dip just a bit before she resumed brushing. "Well... If he is even  _still_  Robin. Beastboy is now  _Changeling_ , so I would not be very surprised if Robin would now be working under a new name."

Raven finally opened her eyes, and the common room came into view. From her seat on the couch and through the great window, she could see that it was a beautiful day outside. The afternoon sun was bright and shining from up above, the skies and the seas were both just a  _touch_  bluer, and she could have sworn that the birds were still chirping, continuing their songs from the early morning. While Cyborg and Changeling actually abandoned their video games to go out and enjoy the weather, both Starfire and Raven elected to enjoy the sunshine and the view from inside, through the window.

In other words:  _girl time_.

Those two words put together to create that very phrase used to make Raven so uncomfortable. It used to make her cringe and shudder. But now... she actually  _liked_ it. The thought of girl time did not make her uncomfortable, cringe  _or_ shudder. It made her  _very_  comfortable. In fact, she  _reveled_  in girl time. A lot.

The tips of Starfire's fingers gathered up the left side of Raven's hair in preparation to begin a braid, and a smile grew onto Raven's face. "I wouldn't be surprised, either. But why would you think that he's not coming back? He said that he would be."

The other woman sighed. "Yes, this is true. But he has been gone for one full Earth year and a few months. That is almost  _two_  full Earth years. He is your best friend. Does it not upset you that you have not seen him in so long? That he has been gone for much longer than he said he would be?"

"Yes." And this was the truth. It pissed her off that he was gone for so long, after he  _specifically_  and  _distinctly_  told her, word for word:  _just a few months, enough to get Bruce off of my back._  Starfire was right - _'just a few months'_ was quickly about to become two years. With a roll of her eyes, Raven shut them. "I can't force him to come back. I mean, I definitely could. He can't stop babying me; all I have to do is say the word, and he'll get on his pretty, little bike."

Starfire laughed, probably because she knew that it was true.

"But that wouldn't be fair to him. I don't own him." Not  _technically_ , anyway. "He said that he would be coming back, so I believe him."

Even  _she_  was having a pretty hard time believing that, and it all came out of _her_ mouth.

As she continued her braiding, Starfire hummed contemplatively. She sighed. "I suppose so," she spoke quietly before releasing a short giggle. A  _girly_  giggle. "I had the  _biggest_  crush on him when we were younger. Did you know?"

Oh, how Raven  _loved_  girl time.

She snorted. "Did I  _know_? We  _all_  knew. Jump City knew.  _Tokyo_  knew. Star, I wouldn't be surprised if  _Gotham_ -"

"Raven!" Starfire gasped with a laugh, one that prompted a little laugh to leave the other woman's lips. She tugged on the end of the braid playfully before she began to braid the other half. "Perhaps I did make it a  _little_  obvious. But he was my first Earth friend and was so kind to me. I have never been one to shield my emotions, and he certainly did evoke such  _strong_  emotions from within me. I could not help myself."

Another smile crept onto Raven's face. That was, without a doubt, the prettiest way that she had ever heard anyone say that someone turned them on. "I know. I like that about you."

"Thank you."

The bright smile shined through her voice, and it only made Raven's stretch across her face. "He liked you, too, you know. And believe me, he wasn't making it any _less_ obvious than you were."

Starfire giggled again. "I know that now, after we both decided that it would be better for us to remain friends."

This was not the first time that they had spoken about this. After all, the first and cardinal rule of girl time  _was_  talking about boys, and Raven did not mind that. Especially since Richard was always so hesitant to speak about his crush, and this was the  _only_  thing that he was always hesitant to speak of with Raven.

_"...in conclusion, that was, without a doubt, t_ _he most embarrassingly blatant display of a puppy dog crush known to man."_

_"Richard, don't be so dramatic. Star is very pretty."_

_"I'm not denying that. I just-" A shudder. Then a mortified, "Let's go out for ice cream or something."_

_A pause._

_"Hey, Rae, what's the definition of_ blatant _?"_

"Is it better?"

"Much better." Starfire, in comparison, was an open book who took pride in all that she did, and was eager to answer any question that anyone was willing to ask her, no matter what it was. "He is a very good friend of mine, and I care for him, but he is much too intense for me. I would not be able to handle him."

Raven almost nodded before remembering that she was getting her hair done. "I agree. He is a pretty intense person, but he has been through a lot."

"And  _you_  handle him  _very_  well."

Raven's upper lip curled in disgust. Her  _handling_   _Richard_? She fought the shudder. "Ew."

Starfire laughed. "Now that I think about it, I think that even  _Changeling_  would make a much more fitting mate for me. He is not so serious, like me. He is lighthearted, like me. He can change into cute animals if I am ever sad. And he is also  _green_. Green would be a  _lovely_  color to wake up to every morning, do you agree?"

Raven's brows jumped as her eyes slid open, the corners of her mouth curving upward. "Star... Do you have a  _crush_  on  _Changeling_?"

"No." She paused. "Especially if you would have a problem with it."

The shudder finally escaped. " _No_ , Starfire.  _Ew_. That's worse than what you said about Robin."

"Then I am simply thinking. Although... Changeling  _has_  grown up to be quite handsome."

Now,  _that_ , Raven could agree to. Changeling was an annoying, little nuisance when they were younger, but even  _she_  could admit that at eighteen, he was a  _fine_  specimen of the male species. As annoying as he still was, not quite as much as he used to be, it was pretty nice to have some eye candy around.

Starfire lightly tugged on the end of the braid, signifying that she was done, and Raven turned to face her on the couch. There was a small smile on her face, paired with equally flushed cheeks that seemed to match her tanned complexion perfectly. It was pretty.

As a smile was fighting its way out, Raven crossed her legs, folding one over the other onto the couch as she leaned back onto her palms. "So, Robin is  _definitely_ over."

Starfire nodded. "Robin is over."

"Has Changeling begun?"

"Changeling has not begun.  _Yet_."

Raven's smile escaped. She liked that ' _yet_ '. "I won't tell."

Starfire's smile grew and she nodded in thanks. "There is something  _else_ that I have been thinking of. Quite frequently, actually," she began. She leaned forward, eyes wide and inquisitive. "Have I ever told you my birth name?"

Raven blinked, shirking back in surprise. Now that she thought about it, she really did not know Starfire's birth name. She simply assumed that this was how children were named on the alien's home planet. The only person on this team whose real name she truly knew was Richard's. So, she shook her head. "No. You haven't, and you don't have to divulge something so personal if you don't want to."

"Oh, no. I  _want_  to," Starfire argued with a shake of her head. She reached over to place a hand over Raven's knee. "You are my close friend and teammate, and you are very dear to me. We met when I was in my fifteenth year, and I am now in my nineteenth. I will be entering my twentieth in one Earth year. It is only right that you should know my birth name, and I trust you."

Raven took in a breath and looked to down her knee, watching Starfire's hand before meeting the other woman's eyes. She nodded. "Thank you."

Starfire's smile softened and she pulled her hand away. "When I first met you and the others, I did not think that I would be here for so long. This is why I called myself 'Starfire'. But you have all become my family, and this has become my home. My birth name is Koriand'r, and I would like it if you called me by  _my_  name from now on."

"Koriand'r," Raven sounded out carefully, allowing the strange, new syllables to roll around her tongue. "That's beautiful. I would tell you my real name, but Raven _is_  my real name."

_Koriand'r_  laughed, the sound twinkling its way into the air as her face glowed, and Raven decided that with a laugh like that, 'Koriand'r' was a fitting name. "Do not worry, friend. Your name is also beautiful."

A low chuckle escaped Raven and she smiled. It was always so easy to smile around her. "Thanks. Maybe we can bully the guys into telling us their real names once they get back."

Koriand'r flew into the air, hovering above the couch as she clapped her hands. She laughed and spun around. "Splendid!"

**_._ **

" _Garfield_? Like the fat, orange  _cat_?"

"Dude, don't  _even_  try to play  _me_  out.  _Your_  name is  _Victor_. What kind of nerdy,  _dork-loser_  name is  _that_? Heh, amiright, ladies?"

"Raven, if you do not mind, what is the definition of the word 'victor'?"

"Victor, a noun, is defined as 'one who defeats an enemy or opponent in a battle, game, or competition. A conqueror'."

"Garfield, I pray that you do not take any offense to this, but the name fits Friend Victor quite well."

" _Koriiiiii_ , you're supposed to be on  _my_  side! And wipe that  _stupid_  nerdy,  _dork-loser_ smile off of your face,  _Victor_!"

"Garfield, your name fits you, too."

"Really? Well, what's the meaning of mine?"

"I don't know, but you  _can_  turn into a green cat that's just as fat as the orange one."

"Oh, my-  _Raven_!"

Kori and Victor laughed.

_**.** _

Patience. It was something that Raven was very good with.

_Normally_ , anyway.

As a young child in Azerath, one who was born with the blood of the underworld's most powerful demon running through her veins and fueling her abilities, she was trained in the art of patience - both rigorously and almost  _exhaustively_. This was what she was taught, to react toward everything with an attitude of  _patience_. To think, live and grow  _in_  patience with an attitude  _of_  patience  _and_  tolerance, and this was how her mantra came to be.

_Azerath, Metrion, Zinthos._

This was a tool  _ingrained_  into her in order to help her maintain this attitude of patience. To  _make sure_ that she maintained it.

But she did not know how much more patient she could be with her best friend's absence. She was bothered by it, yes, but not  _because_  of his absence. It was because of what was happening  _while_  he was gone. Her friends, her team, her _family_ , they were all on a first name basis. A  _birth name_  basis. They were closer now than they had  _ever_  been before, and while  _they_  were steadily continuing to grow closer each day, her  _best friend_  was long gone,  _his_  own name  _still_  a mystery to everyone else but her. Even her own words, the words that came out of  _her_  mouth with the use of  _her_ tongue and  _her_  lips, she began to doubt.

_"He said that he would be coming back, so I believe him."_

And even  _she_  believed, despite  _all_  of his claims, that he would not return.

_**.** _

Raven awoke with a start.

Although, she did not open her eyes. She did not  _want_  to open her eyes. She absolutely  _refused_  to open her eyes. She did not even want to know what time it was, because what she  _wanted_  was to be  _asleep_. She  _wanted to go back to sleep_ , but she could not because  _something_  woke her up. She was awake, wide awake, and did not know  _why_.

The last time that she woke up with such a start, it was all due to Trigon and his incessant need to constantly nag and remind her of his return - as if  _she_  did not know (hell- _ooo_ , she was the  _portal_  that was supposed to be bringing him back). Each and every time those threats woke her up, they were accompanied by feelings of danger. Feelings that projected an onslaught of evil, arrogance and dominance. The vibes and feelings that she was currently receiving did not feel like any of those things, not even a little bit. This all felt very familiar and very friendly.

Right now, she felt warmth and kindness. This aura that pulled her away from her slumber exuded love. It exuded protection. And although it all felt very nice, she  _did_  seem to be picking up a bit of arrogance. Actually, now that she thought about it, she was definitely picking up a whole _lot_ of arrogance that was lurking in the midst of those warm and fuzzy feelings. This arrogance was a  _different_  sort of arrogance, one that could only come from someone...

Someone  _spoiled_.

With a silent prayer to the gods above that this was not some sort of a sick joke, or even a dream, Raven cracked an eye open - only to find herself face to face with Richard.

"Boo."

Raven peaked at the clock that sat on the dresser right beside him.

_3:00_ , it read.

Oh, he just  _had_  to be kidding.

Quite honestly, Raven was much less concerned with the fact that he had been crouched at her bedside for a period of time that only the gods and goddesses from up above had the knowledge of, just watching and waiting for her to wake up, because he just  _knew_  that she would, like the spoiled and entitled  _rotten_  brat that he was. No, she was a  _lot_  more concerned with the discovery that he had his hair tied up into one of those  _stupid_ , little  _buns_ , sitting right on the top of his head.

And for this, she did not reach out to hug him. She did not crack a tiny, little smile, or tell him a witty line that had something do to with how much of a  _surprise_  his return certainly was. She did not even think to question how the alarms, the ones that Victor himself had updated not too long ago, were not set off.

Instead, she opened both eyes, her brows knitting and her upper lip curling in disgust before she could stop it. Not that she  _would_  actually make an attempt to do so at this point. "What happened to your hair?"

He seemed a little disappointed by her reaction - or lack thereof. He reached up, poking a finger at the roll of hair sitting on the top of his head. "What? You don't like it?"

That was not what Raven said. If anything, she now had a  _second_  piece of eye candy to make the rainy days brighter now that he was back with that new hairdo. "I didn't say that."

He arched a dark brow and leaned forward, a smug smile playing at his lips. "So, you  _do_  like it?"

Raven tried to smile, but it did not reach her eyes. It did not even reach her mouth, and her lips  _barely_  managed to even twitch. After almost two years, how could he just waltz into her room and pull her out of her sleep with a  _pleasant_  conversation about whether she liked his  _hair_  or not - as if he had never even been gone in the first place? "I don't like that you're prettier than I am now. The competition was already stiff enough before you grew your hair out."

Richard threw his head back just a bit and released a jovial laugh, allowing her to smell the fading scent of toffee nut coffee on his breath, and she could  _distinctly_  tell that his hair was not the only change. His laughter was deeper than it usually sounded over the phone, significantly deeper than it had been when he first left. His face was not so round and his body, not so scrawny. He was bigger, and even as he was crouched down beside her, it was obvious that he was taller by a  _great_  deal.

Clearly, he had grown during his time in Gotham. He even had a tiny bit of leftover  _stubble_  along the right side of his jaw, the very, same jaw that had never been  _nearly_ as pronounced as it was now. And was that the heady scent of- (she twitched her nose, taking a sniff as she did so) - _cologne_  that she was inhaling along with the toffee nut?

At twenty years old, it was obvious that he was now a  _man_. An undoubtably handsome one. Yet even with all of these changes, and in the darkness, she could tell that this was none other than her best friend. His eyes, bright, blue and electric as ever, still held that dangerous touch of mischievousness, and his brows were still dark, full, and expressive. But although she could see through the transformation, and this certainly could be considered a  _transformation_ , it was all a testament to just how long he had been gone.

Raven's brows shifted ever so slightly, feelings of bitterness and anger pouring over her, drop by drop,as she took in the sight of him. "What took you so long?"

His own brows knitted in confusion, even as a smile was tugging at his lips. "What?"

Suddenly, she had the urge to punch that smile right off of his pretty, new face - clean. "Don't you dare ' _what_ ' me. What the  _hell_  took you so long?" she spat, much too infuriated to bother with the fact that she swore.

He was much too happy to take that task on for her. His smile grew into a wide grin, a low chuckle slipping out. "Raven, you just  _swore_."

Raven sat up with a short growl, throwing the sheets that covered her off to the side, and he shuffled back a bit, bouncing on his haunches as his smile fell and eyes grew wide. Rage  _purred_  from within her.  _Good_. Because even with that pretty, new face, the fancy hair, and the cologne, he was  _still_  an oblivious  _boy_  - and it was pissing her off. She pushed her hair back, combing away the tendrils and stray locks that escaped the messy bun sitting at the nape of her neck. "Richard, you _cannot_  just  _waltz_  into my room at three in the morning like everything is normal."

His mouth fell open, allowing a scoff to slip out. Those bright eyes darkened, shining with offense, and that very same emotion began to permeate the air. "I beg your pardon? Why the hell not? And don't tell me to watch my mouth. This isn't the first time that I've done this."

"You've been gone for almost two years!" she yelled, suddenly very glad that the bedrooms were soundproofed. She planted her feet flat onto her carpeted floor and stood, prompting him to do the same. "Your hair is almost as long as mine, long enough to put into a  _stupid_ , little bun. You've got an even  _stupider_  patch of stubble on your jaw! Starfire isn't even  _Starfire_  anymore. Her  _birth_  name is Koriand'r, and Cyborg's is Victor! And Changeling,  _not Beast Boy_ , is  _Garfield Logan_!"

"What the  _fuck_  does any of that have to do with  _me_?!" he countered, and she took in a sharp breath because it finally clicked in her head how much taller he had grown. He was really,  _really_  tall. So much taller that she almost took a step back, simply because she was not used to this gigantic version of her best friend. "You don't get to chew me out like this!"

"I beg your pardon?" she mocked him, crossing her arms.

The feelings of offense that he had previously been projecting shifted and flared into anger. He set his jaw. "This isn't fair. I told you. I told  _you_ , my best friend, every day that it would take some time. That I didn't mean to stay there for so long because-"

"Because Gotham is my hometown, and I'm back," she completed for him with a touch of sass. "You were back, Richard, and I  _know_  that already-"

He scoffed, rolling his eyes to the side as he took a step back. "Raven, don't give me that."

She took a step forward. "Give you  _what_?"

"This isn't fair! I already told you!"

She groaned in frustration, uncrossing her arms and throwing her hands into the air. It was not rare for them to argue. Honestly, how  _hard_  was it for _anyone_  to get into an argument with a brat as spoiled as  _he_  was? He was her best friend, but she had never met anyone else who had the power to rile her up like this. "Not  _fair_? Me calling you out isn't  _fair_  to you? You are so spoiled! What about the rest of the team?! You can't just  _show_  up like you never left - this wasn't a  _weekend trip_! A few months ago, we all sat down together in the kitchen and told each other our real names, the names that we were given at  _birth_! But  _you're_   _still just Robin_  to them!  _That's_  what isn't fair! We  _all_  thought that you weren't coming back - including me!"

His head shot up and he looked to her, meeting her eyes, and even with the darkness of her room and the darkness that filled his own eyes, they shined so brightly. His brows knitted with a mixture of confusion, hurt and concern, and he took a step toward her. "What? No, Rae- I wouldn't- I would never just  _not_ come back without telling anyone. Especially not you. Come on, you- you're my best friend."

A frown began to tug at her lips, pulling them downward, and her stomach turned. He never stuttered. Even when he was laughing really hard or was just out of breath, he never stuttered as much as he just did now. "Richard-"

"I'm sorry."

She knew that he was. Her empathy allowed her to feel just how sorry he was, but their bond both amplified and multiplied it. "I know you are."

He hesitated, then arched a brow as a smile threatened to come out. "But I'm not forgiven. Am I?"

"No."

"I don't even know why I asked."

At that, he took her into his arms, enveloping her in his warmth, and she smiled whilst wrapping her arms around his middle, tucking her head very neatly under his chin. This gigantic version of Richard was not so bad. Even if his jacket still held onto the little bit of chilliness from the cool night, he felt very good. In fact, his new size was even better and much more accommodating. These arms that were currently holding her were a lot more comfortable than the twigs that used to do the same thing. But she would not tell him that.

He placed a kiss onto her forehead and unwound an arm from around her. "Don't worry," he spoke quietly as he wiped the spot he had kissed with the very flat of his thumb. "I got it."

A soft sigh escaped Raven and she hugged him closer, her eyes fluttering shut in bliss. She missed this, even if they did speak every day while they were separated. She missed her best friend.

He combed the very tips of his fingers through her hair and along her scalp before burying his nose into her hair. He sniffed twice. "Are you using a new shampoo?" he asked before pulling away to gently tug at a loose tendril. "Wait, my hair isn't  _nearly_  as long as yours, you liar."

"Speaking of hair," she began, blatantly ignoring his accusation and his insulted scoff. "Does your new hairdo come with a new outfit?"

"Yes, it does, actually. I've received  _rave_  reviews acclaiming the fact that it makes my butt look  _very_  good."

"Better than your last outfit?"

"Raven," he drawled, and she immediately realized the words that came out of her own mouth. She pulled away from him, but he held her closer. There was a growing grin on his face, and her face heated up. "I didn't know that you watched my butt, little one."

Actually, both Raven and Koriand'r used to watch his butt like a sport before he left (and they may or may not have been certain occasions during which they succeeded in convincing Victor to join them), and he was not supposed to find out.

Even with an ever flushing face, she managed to give him a good glare. "Oh,  _shut up_ , you spoiled brat." She pushed him off of her and made her way into her bed, ignoring his chuckles as she buried her face into her pillow. "And I am  _not_  that little."

"No. Not anymore, at least," he spoke to himself through his chuckles, loud enough for her to hear, and she heard his jacket hit the floor. With a heavy sigh, he fell into the spot beside her. He settled himself into the bed, shuffling a bit, before he released a quieter and more contented sigh. "Don't worry, Rae. You've got a pretty nice butt, too."

A smile grew and she dug her face deeper into her pillow in an attempt to smother it. "How would  _you_  know? You haven't seen it in two years."

" _Almost_  two years."

" _Richard_."

Another chuckle escaped him. "Fine, fine."

With a shake of her head, Raven removed her face from its spot in her pillow and rested her cheek on it to look at him, only to find him watching her. He probably thought that she was going to suffocate with her face in that pillow, or something. Laying back on the bed with his denim clad legs crossed at his bare ankles, the plain white T-shirt that he wore was being stretched across his chest by a broadness that fit his new height perfectly. The pillow underneath him was folded, and his own hands were folded beneath his head, a few fingers tucked into his hair. His eyes, bright, blue and electric as ever, twinkled with a familiar mirth as he watched her closely. He really was handsome now, and this was not to say that he was  _not_  handsome before, because he was. This  _new_  handsomeness was just different. More mature. And this maturity practically screamed,  _"MAN!"_ He would have a  _great_  host of new fangirls - especially with that hair.

"I like the hair."

"Even with the  _stupid_  bun?"

"Even with the  _stupid_  bun."

His mouth turned up and into a smug smile, because he _just knew_  it, and she rolled her eyes with a scoff, turning around in her bed to face her back toward him. He laughed and reached over, poking a finger into the messy bun that sat at the nape of her neck and collected her mass of hair, before he pulled a tendril loose. Very gently, he tugged on it as he did his inspection. "Thanks. I've never seen your hair this long before. I didn't even know that it could grow past your  _shoulders_ , let alone reach mid-back. I like your hair, too."

Silence.

"What? No 'thank you'?"

She bit at the smile that tugged on her lips, but remained quiet.

He snorted. "Who's the spoiled brat now?"

Her powers shot out toward him, and he released her hair, right before he fell off of the bed and onto the floor with a  _thud_ and a graceful, "Fuck."

A little giggle escaped her before she could stop it, and she ignored the groan he emitted whilst crawling back into the bed.

"Fine. Good night," he said before adding a panicked, "And you _don't_ have to return to sentiment."

With a tiny smile, Raven shut her eyes and pulled the sheet closer to herself as she dug her body deeper into the bed. "Good night, Richard."

"Try not to snore too much this time, Cherry."

"I wasn't seriou-!  _Ugh_! Richard, you are  _so spoiled_!"

He simply laughed, reaching over once again to tug on the same lock of hair that he had loosened from her bun.


	3. Chapter 3

xoxo

* * *

Chapter Three

**_._ **

Forgive (v.) - to stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake. To cancel.

Within the Titans, there was a cluster of adversities and betrayals that were faced at such an incredibly young age, those of which were connected so closely to forgiveness. Although it should not have been so,  _forgiveness_  was a taxing and difficult subject for them. Despite being on the moral side of the law, the word itself was always sure to evoke tender emotions, feelings which were always paired with scars and wounds that never really did heal all the way through. There was a sharp pain that accompanied these emotional scars; and with pain always came growth, growth that helped to shape and mold the young heroes into strong and able individuals.

Their growth came through hiding behind  _kindness_ , growth through hiding behind  _humor_ , growth through hiding behind  _books_ , growth through hiding behind  _technology_ , and growth through hiding behind  _obsession_. The Titans each continued to grow and grow until eventually, they grew  _out_  of hiding - and it was such a beautiful thing to witness.

But forgiveness was hard - incredibly hard. It was very easy to hold grudges and to dwell in the past. It was purely elementary to replay past events over and over in one's head, just to be able to continue reliving such thrilling and fueling emotions. It was almost  _fun_  to be petty. And letting go? The actual act of forgiving and moving forward,  _voluntarily_  and  _intentionally_? It was not easy at all. In fact, it was quite difficult and sometimes felt impossible. Yet despite how difficult forgiveness was, it did not take very long for the rest of the team to forgive their former leader for taking such an extended and unexplained leave of absence.

Victor was undoubtedly the easiest. As soon as the bionic man caught sight of Richard, a jubilant song filled with at  _least_  seven different variations of the word, "booyah", each one sung in a different language that his computerized brain searched up on the spot, poured itself right out of his mouth.

"The grass stain can have it from here on out," he declared once his song was finished. Ultimately, he decided for himself that the life of a Titan leader (Titans  _West_  leader, anyway) was not for him. "I won't even fight him."

That was all that Garfield needed to hear in order for him to excuse Richard. ("Richard _?! Haha! That's even more nerdy, dork-loser-y than_ Victor _!"_ ) As far as the young changeling was concerned, Richard was now allowed to go on as many trips as he felt necessary, whenever he wanted and for however long he felt he needed.

Kori's forgiveness, however, was not so easily granted.

Upon learning of Richard's return, the alien princess immediately began to project a slew of several different emotions that bombarded Raven's empathic senses. There was a smidgen of relief mixed with reluctant happiness, paired with the unrelenting need for answers. There was also anger, hot and flaming anger that each and every single one of them understood. Abandonment, whether it was deliberate or purely accidental, was not something that Kori would ever be fond of.

"Listen, I'm sorry. Okay? I didn't mean to take an extended trip, all right? I didn't mean to turn a few months into two years. I didn't mean to be so selfish and inconsiderate of you guys. You're my family and I should have known better. Please forgive me."

The apology was followed by a thick silence (one that was shattered  _just_  a bit by the quiet sniffles that Garfield attempted to keep hidden) as little sparks of green energy danced along the very tips of Kori's fingers. One could not be too sure if it was an accident or meant to just intimidate Richard, but the empath was sure of one thing: Kori was  _infinitely_  less amused by his sudden appearance than Raven had been the other night.

"Right," Richard declared with a sharp sigh, as if the alien's glowing fingers seemed to jog his memory. He reached for the sunglasses that sat on his face and slid them off, rolling his eyes to the ceiling of the common room with a huff fit for the brat he was. "Hello,  _Koriand'r_. My name is  _Richard_  and I've got blue eyes."

Kori, who had been hovering in front of her old friend since their first meeting in about two years, allowed a joyous smile to adorn her face. With a sweet giggle full of glee, she clapped her hands and spun in the air. "Oh, how glorious! Friend Robin has returned as the Friend  _Richard_  with  _blue_  eyes! On my planet, a momentous occasion such as this would be considered the perfect time to... get the party started!"

At that, Victor declared that it certainly was the perfect time for celebratory waffles. Garfield immediately began to fight for the rights to serve and eat tofu waffles at the Titans Tower, PowerPoint presentation and all. Kori rushed to the kitchen and began the preparations for some sort of a strange pudding, which certainly said something since all of her puddings were strange. Raven simply released a short snort at the sight of it all, affronted.

The empath loved her best friend, she did. It was not right, but she was sure that she loved him the most out of all her friends. But how could she not? He was, after all, her very best friend - the best that she had ever had and probably ever would have. They had been in each other's heads, for goodness' sake; it would be pretty hard not to like him. Gods and goddesses above (and Richard) knew that she tried. But as much as she loved him, even she could admit that he had been let off just a bit too easily.

Just as a spoiled brat would be.

**_._ **

It almost seemed like the tree root appeared out of thin air, catching Raven's foot and forcing her towards the ground. She closed her eyes as she fell, a sharp gasp escaping her as she prepared to hit the ground. The impact never came. Instead, she stopped mid-fall.

Raven released another gasp, this one much softer and wavering a bit at the sudden and abrupt sensation. She cracked an eye open and looked down, very pleased to find that she had not hit the ground with her face and was not currently eating dirt. At the same time, she was a bit embarrassed that she had allowed herself to get so caught off guard that she could not even call upon her powers.

"You okay?"

The sound of Richard's voice helped her to realize that he was holding her up, reminding her just where they were. They were in some stupid forest, walking through a stupid maze of trees because he had discovered a  _new_  secret (and  _stupid_ ) hiding spot on his way back from Gotham just last week. It was a little past two in the morning, but he  _insisted_  that this was only because living in Gotham for the past two years had disrupted his sleeping pattern. As a result of this disrupted sleeping pattern, Raven was forced to embark on a new "adventure" every night since his return. It was definitely safe to say that while his outside appearance had changed, his insides remained exactly the same.

In response to his question, Raven gave a short nod and he pulled her upright. He gave the tip of her nose a light flick before he let her go and resumed walking, his thick and heavy boots making the leaves and branches on the ground create a strangely satisfying  _crunch_  beneath his feet as he looked back every so often to check on her. She glared at the back of his head, her lips pursing and turning down in annoyance before she ultimately shook her head with a sigh and followed after him, making sure that there would be nothing else to trip on.

With a grunt, she braced her hand on a tree trunk, lifting her leg to step over a stump as she tried to keep up with him. Honestly, how far was this place? She had half a mind to use her powers to sink him into the ground and bring him right back down to his original height. His new and long legs were not so easy to follow.

"I would have never tripped if you hadn't insisted on taking me for a lovely walk through the woods at two in the morning," she called out after him, her words laced in sarcasm.

"No," he retorted as he stopped at a short ledge. He crouched down to balance himself on the ledge with a hand, hopping over it with a grunt before landing in a pile of leaves. He turned to face her, a corner of his mouth turned up in amusement as he looked up at her. "You would have never tripped if you had just stopped complaining the entire time and simply followed me  _quietly_."

Well. She was not too proud to admit that he was correct about that. Surprisingly enough, walking and talking ( _whining_ , in her case) were not very easy to do at the same time when a dark forest was involved. Still, Raven growled low in her throat, and even in the midst of the strange sounds of the night, she knew that he heard it. He was doing that stupid  _smirking_  thing.

Richard extended his arms toward her, motioning his hands back and forth. "Now, come on and jump. I'll catch you."

The empath hesitated, her eyes darting between him and the ledge. The jump really was not too high, and although she was sure that he would never let her fall, this whole  _woodland experience_  was not giving her good vibes. The air of the forest was crisp and chilly—a clear indicator that Autumn had settled in. It was also dark. Very dark. While the moon did supply a good amount of light whenever the trees above decided to let it show, all of the strange sounds certainly did deter the moon's comforting glow.

Frankly, it was creepy - and Raven knew creepy. Sure, she was dark and creepy herself, but she was the  _good_  kind of dark and creepy. Who knew what sort of _bad_  darkness and creepiness lurked deep within this forest?

Raven crossed her arms as she looked down at him. He had not been back for very long, but she could already feel that strange sense of entitlement settling into her stomach. It was pretty nice to be looking at him from this angle. "Why can't I just  _hover_  my way down to you? Why do I have to  _jump_? I shouldn't have to _jump_ down to anything."

"Raven," he chortled, his dark brows arching high above his eyes. "You jump, hop, and leap all the time when you're fighting on the battlefield."

With a scoff, she uncrossed her arms and threw them out, using her hands to direct his attention to the trees that surrounded them both. "Richard, does it look like we are on the  _battlefield_  right now?!"

Her little outburst did not seem to faze him. Truthfully, she would have been surprised if it did. He simply motioned for her to jump again, a grin spreading across his face. "Where's your sense of adventure? No powers, Raven. Just a little jump, you know I'll catch you."

Raven clenched her teeth, biting back the harsh and very choice words that were fighting to come out, because she really did know that he would never let her fall. With a huff, she rolled her eyes and mumbled a short and indignant, " _You're so spoiled_." At that, she took one last look around herself before pulling her jacket closer to herself. She took in a sharp breath and finally jumped, allowing him to catch her by the waist as a few tendrils of her hair escaped the messy bun that sat on the nape of her neck.

He set her down with a low groan, smiling that all-American, Boy Scout smile. "I told you that I'd catch you."

"I never said that I didn't believe you," she countered, combing the loose strands of hair away from her face with her fingers.

Richard simply chuckled with a shake of his head. He released her and turned around to continue leading their trek. "Come on. Just a bit more to go."

The acute sound of an owl's hooting rang through the tiny forest, and Raven jumped. It did not come as a surprise that her very best friend was someone who refused to control his impulses whenever  _adventure_  chose to come knocking on his door. At this point in time, she had already accepted the fact that this was just her life. So she reached for the back of Richard's jacket and clenched her fingers around the thick leather. He slowed down just a bit, enough for her to use her grip on his jacket to pull herself closer to him.

"Why couldn't we just teleport to wherever this place is? It would be much easier."

_Hoot!_

She stepped closer to him. "And a lot less creepy."

Richard gave another low chuckle, this one warm and comforting. He reached behind himself and grabbed for her hands, uncurling her fingers from their tight hold on his jacket. He pulled her to his side and placed an arm around her, hugging her close. She immediately felt much safer.

"Raven, you're the queen of creepy things."

She looked up to glare at him, only to be met with his stupid jaw. At that, she looked straight ahead with a scowl. "I'm the queen of creepy things that I know of and understand."

"Where's your sense of adventure?"

"That has got to be the twentieth time that you've said that tonight. You're starting to sound like Peter Pan."

"Now that I think about it, you  _would_  make a perfect Tinkerbell, little one."

"I am  _not_  that little-!"

A decidedly monstrous howl rang through the forest, echoing and bouncing off of the dark crevices and hollows that hid within the land. Raven immediately leaned into Richard's space, her face heating up in embarrassment as she crossed her arms. For goodness' sake, she was the daughter of an all-powerful demon who had been bent on  _universal destruction_ , much less something as childish and trivial as world domination. With everything that she knew, she had no reason to fear a silly forest. But she simply could not believe that he had come here by himself - and  _wanted_  to return. It did not make sense for such an impulsive, and just as equally idiotic, individual such as himself to still be alive.

"Are you sure I can't just take us there?" she asked, her eyes darting around them as they walked deeper into the dark woods. "Just direct me. We'll be safe.  _Er._ "

He laughed, his body shaking and vibrating a bit as he held her closer. "Rae, we're not going to die! It'll be just fine. Just a bit more to go."

"You said that already."

Instead of responding, he chose to continue leading her to their destination before placing one, single kiss onto her forehead. The corners of her mouth curled up, a smile fighting its way out as he wiped the kiss off with the flat of his thumb. She had to admit that she did miss those. Even if he did return as a cologne spritzing giant who chose to tie his hair up into a little bun that sat on the very top of his head, it almost felt like he had never left in the first place now that he was back and fully reintegrated into the team and to life in Jump.

"All right, the moment that we have all been waiting for," he declared as he removed his arm from its resting place on her shoulders. He stepped behind her and grabbed her by the shoulders, giving her a playful shake before he resumed directing her tentative footsteps. "Some of us much, much, much  _less_  patiently than others. But that matters not. You ready, Tink?"

Raven ignored the little nickname that he had slipped in and nodded, her stomach twisting and turning with a mix between trepidation and excitement. She continued to let him direct her before they turned at a big oak tree. Within an instant, the scenery changed right before her eyes, shifting from a dark and creepy forest to something right out of a Disney princess movie.

"Wow," she breathed after a moment, stepping away from his hold to get a clearer view of how much more brightly the moon seemed to be shining from this new area. She could even see the stars, and this was a task in itself considering the bright city that they lived in. Despite all of her whining and complaining, she could see that the journey that they had taken to get here was worth it. "It's beautiful here. How did you manage to find this place?"

"It called me."

Those three words worked to snap her out of her little daze. She turned to look at him, only to find her friend reclining onto that big oak tree and watching her with an impish smile. Arching a brow, she crossed her arms. "Richard, this forest  _called_  you?"

A warm and jovial laugh poured itself out of his mouth, his bright blue eyes shining through the darkness. Suddenly, the coolness of the night did not bother her so much. "What? I know that it's pretty cheesy, but come on. You're a telepathic empath from another dimension, and you don't believe that I could be called by a forest?"

Raven hummed in contemplation. He did make a very good point. She cocked her head to the side, smiling a bit. "I suppose that you  _do_  have the spirit of a maverick."

" _Maverick_ ," he repeated, tasting the word on his tongue. His brow jumped. "What's the definition of that?"

"An unorthodox or independent-minded person."

Richard nodded in acceptance, a smug look shadowing his face ever so slightly. If she had not known him so well, she would not have even noticed or been able to tell, but it was pretty obvious that he liked this new word. He reclined onto the oak tree with a quiet groan before sliding down to sit on the ground, waving her over with a hand. "You'll get a much better view of the moon from over here, near this tree."

Raven craned her neck, taking one last glance at the sky behind her before she walked over to the tree and sat on the ground beside her friend. Lifting her eyes up to the sky, her stomach turned at the new sight.  _He's absolutely correct_ , she admitted to herself, unwittingly allowing a tiny smile to grace her lips. Unbelievable as it all seemed, the entire sky, much less the moon, really was even more beautiful from their seats near the gigantic tree.

"You were right. This place is pretty magical."

"Of course I was right."

"Richard."

" _Translation_ ," he sang, a teasing lilt playing at his voice. "As if I would ever lie to you."

Raven snorted, brushing his comment off. She knew. "As much as I am enjoying the pretty looking climax to this little field trip, I also enjoy sleep. When do you think that you'll be able to sleep properly again? We can't sneak out of the Tower at two in the morning for a new adventure every night, you know."

"Says who? We both know that you like the adventures." As she gave a low chuckle, he lifted a shoulder and allowed it to fall. He made a noncommittal sound. "But just give me about one more week. I should be back to normal by then."

Although she did not really believe it, she did believe that he would try. For this, she nodded and a comfortable silence passed between them, the strange sounds of the late night filling the air around them. The sounds were not as unnerving as they once were. Instead, they were almost as comforting as the soft glow of the moon and the twinkling of the little stars that surrounded it.

"I told Bruce what you said about The Joker."

A light shiver ran down her spine. The mentioning of the villain did not bother her as much as it did before, and she actually had not even thought about him for some time now. Despite this, it was still disturbing to think that a human being such as The Joker actually existed. "You did? Well, what did he say?"

"He thinks that you're  _clever_. He likes you."

Raven felt her face scrunch up in blatant confusion, her brows knitting tight above her eyes. She looked to him, only to find him watching her in amusement. "He  _likes_  me?"

He nodded, a full blown grin overtaking his features. "Well, he likes the way that your brain works, which is pretty much the same thing. So, yes. He likes you. Why are you surprised?"

"I'm not so sure if surprised is the correct word." She hesitated a little, a frown lining her lips. "I'm just... I never really thought that he could like  _anything_ , much less someone that he's never met before. He reminds me of a grizzly bear, like he could eat me whole if he wanted to. In one bite. He's-" she stopped for a moment to search for an appropriate word. "Bruce Wayne is  _huge_."

The corners of Richard's mouth wobbled, a clear sign that he was putting up one serious fight with the laughter that was just itching to escape. He hummed a short sound and swallowed as he looked back to the sky. "I should tell him that. Unless you're afraid that he'll show up in your bedroom with a fork and a knife in each hand."

" _Richard_!" she growled, shoving at his shoulder. He chose not to acknowledge the attack and merely continued to watch the sky, not bothering to conceal the growth of his smile this time. Although she attempted to fight it, a smile of her own slid onto her face, right before she rolled her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder with a low chuckle.

Even now at the tender age of twenty, he was still so incredibly impulsive. In fact, it seemed that instead of growing out of this impulsive stage as most aging youths tended to do, it had all become much worse. This  _stage_  was no longer a stage and had settled itself right into Richard's character. Surprisingly enough? Raven did not mind. The air was cold and crisp, and there were still strange and creepy animal sounds being randomly projected into the air, but it was fine because her best friend had returned.

"I missed you."

"I know." She could not see his face, but the smile was clear and evident in his voice. "I missed you, too." There was bit of hesitation - just a  _tiny_  bit. "And I'm not leaving again."

"You hesitated."

"I meant it."

"Just make sure to warn me the next time you decide to take an extended trip, okay?"

Richard released a heavy sigh, one chock-full of exasperation and frustration. It made her smile. "This little field trip has to count for  _some_  points toward my forgiveness campaign."

A snort. "Don't be so spoiled."

_**.** _

Change was not something that Raven was good with.

It really was such a strange thing to think of when she considered just how professionally she handled the distinct art of adaptation, and the two concepts were quite similar. Adaptation is defined as a change or the process of change by which an organism becomes better suited to its environment. It is a process, a systematic series of events that one would be able to gradually adjust themselves to as it all happened, at whatever pace fit of pleased them. And change?

Change (n.) - the act or instance of making or becoming different.

It could happen within one instant. At the snap of a finger and in the blink of an eye. Just like  _that_ , completely under someone's nose and over their heads - both at the same time with no warning. There was no room to adjust,  _adapt_ , or become comfortable with change. Once again, Raven was not good with the idea of this...  _change_ , much less the actual realities of it. In fact, she was quite terrible with it, and this was one thing about herself that she was acutely aware of.

Raven grew suspicious whenever Jump, a city that was much too prone to trouble for its own good, grew too quiet and peaceful for an allotted amount of time. No matter how much she liked them, she would always hate surprise visits from the Titans East because they had the  _keen_  ability to turn the Tower upside down as soon as they stepped one foot inside. Despite constantly begging and pleading for it, she hated when Garfield stopped telling corny jokes. That always meant that something was wrong, and Raven  _hated_  whenever something was wrong with her friends, especially when there was nothing that she could do to help.

But it was the aftermath of a fight with Cinderblock that finally opened Raven's eyes to just how badly change could really shake her up.

_**.** _

The battle began as all of their battles did. Making sure that there were no civilians in danger of getting hurt, reading their enemy, and teamwork. It certainly was difficult and Cinderblock was a worthy opponent, but the Titans continued to push and fight hard. In the end, the Titans prevailed and were victorious -  _they won_. However, by the end of it all, Raven had acquired just enough injuries to be sent to the Titans' infirmary for a checkup.

It was strange to think that  _she_  was currently sitting in the infirmary, hooked up to some machines and practically covered with scabs and bruises as Victor ran tests on her. Yes, Cinderblock was strong. He was also  _literally_  made up of actual cement and cinder blocks, but she rarely ever got hurt like this during battle. Her body automatically began a healing process the instant she received any injuries, and judging from the look on Victor's face, he was just a tad bit more worried than she was.

The large man frowned as he read through the paper attached to his clipboard, looking up every now and then to monitor the beeping machines. With an indefinite and reserved sound, he took a few notes down before finally meeting her eyes. "The good news is that you have healing abilities. Without those, you would have just a _little_  more than those pretty, little bruises that you've got going on. Bad news is that I'm worried about you." His frown deepened. "What happened out there, little bird?"

Raven's immediate response was a frown. The nickname was cute, even she had to admit that, but how many times would she have to remind these people that she was not that little? She was the smallest amongst them, but that did not mean that she needed constant reminders. "I don't know what happened. I... I guess that he just got me good this time. But I'm fine, I will be."

Victor watched her for a moment, his fingers twitching around his clipboard as if he was itching to reach out for her. Finally, the frown on his face dissipated and transformed into a somber scowl. "Sorry for worrying like this, Rae. It's just that you're never one to get hurt like this. It's usually me or  _Mr. Hothead_ over there," he nodded his head back, gesturing to Richard behind him.

From the very beginning, the young leader had been supervising the check up from his position beside the door. Just as Kori had suspected, he no longer clung to the moniker 'Robin'. Now, he worked under the alias 'Nightwing', and  _Nightwing_  came fully equipped with a new mask and uniform, a  _dark_  uniform which certainly stood as a stark contrast to his previously blindingly bright one. It was much nicer, and fit both him and his personality well, a testament to just how much he had grown in Gotham. Yet despite all this, Raven still found herself tripping up on the battlefield and accidentally calling him Robin before making the quick correction (another change that was not sitting well with her).

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Victor asked, arching a brow as he flipped through the papers on his clipboard. "I mean, I know that you can heal and everything, but I can run a few more tests-"

"I wouldn't put it past you," Raven interrupted, a corner of her mouth turning up at his concern. She nodded. "I'm fine, Vic. I promise."

He seemed to be dissecting her answer in his head, tapping his finger on his chin before giving a short nod. "I'm going to go run some more tests. I'll be right back."

Raven's jaw dropped as she watched him walk over to the door. "Wait, no- I told you that I'm fine-"

Victor pulled the door open, turning around only to toss her a quick grin. "Don't hurt yourself  _too_  much while I'm gone," he sang. With that, he stepped through the door and shut it behind him.

She hesitated in her seat, debating on whether or not she should follow after him before she stopped. If she followed after him, that would only warrant him to perform even more tests. The possibility alone made Raven lean back onto her hands with a huff, scowling as she finally regarded Richard. "Do you want to run some tests on me, too?"

With an easy chuckle, Richard pushed himself off of the wall and approached her. "He cares."

"Yeah, and he's  _almost_  as bad as you."

He simply gave a knowing smile. "You know... I'd like a little more insight into what exactly happened out there myself."

Raven had not received a speech from his overprotective side since he had gotten back, but she was  _quite_  sure that this was where they were headed. "You heard what I told Victor. Cinderblock just got me good this time. That was good enough for Vic, and it should be good enough for you."

"Except it  _wasn't_  good enough for Vic." The outline of his brow arched from behind his mask. "If it was, he wouldn't be running some more tests right now. If it's not good enough for Victor, then there is no reason for it to be good enough for me. It's not. What happened out there was and is completely unacceptable, Raven."

 _Ugh_.

"Don't be so stupid," she spat out before she could stop herself. He was her leader, but he was also her best friend, and her best friend was being extremely stupid at the moment. It was only right and natural for her to put a stop to it. "What are you going to do? Are you going to request for special access into Cinderblock's cell and beat him up for me? Are you going to  _avenge_  me?"

"Don't tempt me, Raven. That's actually a pretty good idea."

Raven scoffed incredulously, sitting up in her seat with a shake of her head. "Richard,  _please_  stop being so stupid. I was being facetious."

" _Facetious_?" he repeated, his voice a bit strangled as he attempted to keep his voice down. The infirmary was one of the only rooms within the Tower that was not soundproofed.

"Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor."

"I know what it means, surprisingly enough." He reached out and took ahold of her chin, raising it to inspect her face, under her chin and the length of her neck. His mouth turned down, just a bit. "You're being  _facetious_  about this, Raven? Have you even looked at a mirror yet? Have you seen what's happened to yourself?"

She lifted her head with a grunt, ultimately pulling her chin out of his grasp. "I'm a big girl, which means that I can take care of myself. I am also a superhero. Getting hurt is a part of the job - if you weren't aware. I'm going to heal, remember?"

"You aren't healing fast enough," he declared with an unwavering and resolute air. "Which only means that you allowed yourself to get seriously hurt out there."

She set her jaw with a low growl, a few tendrils of her dark powers materializing themselves and playing with a few objects around the room. Honestly, he was just so stubborn and  _infuriating_ , two things that she did not miss about him while he was in Gotham. "Didn't I tell you to  _stop_  being stupid? What is your problem? You're acting like I can't take care of myself. Are you afraid that you're going to lose me or something?"

"Yes, actually. I am afraid of that, and I do not want that to happen."

There was nothing in his tone that implied that he was joking. There was not even one, little iota within his voice that insinuated playfulness. He was being completely serious, much too serious for her liking. The thought of him being afraid to lose her made Raven sit up and swallow, because it was not just a thought. It was a feeling, a  _strong_  feeling that was mixed and intertwined with several others - a combination that she could only describe as him being absolutely scared to death. And frankly, _that_ scared her even more.

"Richard..." She stopped and swallowed again, her throat suddenly dry due to all of the emotions that were currently hitting her at once. It was even worse that it was her best friend's emotions. Because of their bond and the closeness of their friendship, she always felt his emotions at  _least_  ten times more intensely than she felt anyone else's. "You're not going to lose me to some fight with Cinderblock."

"It's not just Cinderblock." Richard hesitated, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as he stood in deep contemplation. He rose a hand to rub the back of his neck (a nervous tick that he had yet to drop), right before he took one step toward her. With a heavy sigh, his hand fell and he finally began to speak, his voice low and hushed as if he were afraid to disturb something. "Listen, I wasn't lying when I said that I missed you while I was in Gotham. I missed you a lot, Rae, and I'm not trying to lose you the moment I get you back. I don't care how selfish, spoiled or bratty that makes me. Okay?"

As soon as his confession left his mouth and touched her ears, a new strand of emotion began to poke a hole through his wall of fear and nervousness. It was fighting  _hard_  to make its way to her and she almost caught it, right before it was retracted. Before  _he_  retracted it. He had never retracted anything from her before. While she was unsure of what exactly had been kept from her (and why), that tiny, little poke still managed to make her stomach turn for reasons unknown.

Raven frowned a bit. Why was  _her_  stomach turning while _he_  looked completely fine? After all, it was  _his_  little poke that did this to her. Before she could delve deeper into the reasoning behind why her face had begun an attempt to burn itself off, she found herself nodding. "Okay."

A kind smile slid onto his face and the air felt normal again. Almost normal. It would have been  _completely_  normal if she had just known what it was that had been fighting to come to her. But for now, she was content to sit in the warmth of the flames that had previously engulfed her. Although she had to admit, she  _did_  like the burn just a little.

Raven gasped, both at the thought and because he had taken ahold of her chin once again, forcing her to meet his masked eyes. Her eyes widened ever so slightly in confusion. Could he feel everything that she was feeling? He had to. Even if he was completely human with no powers of empathy, he was still her best friend and they had a bond. He must have had at least an inkling about her confusion.

His smile widened, giving no indication into whether or not he knew that there was a rampaging storm of emotions threatening to destroy her. "No frowning, Tink. I hate it when you frown."

A soft chuckle immediately spilled out of her mouth. Her best friend always knew how to make her laugh, even if it did involve stupid nicknames and a burning face that she had no hope of controlling. "Don't be so spoiled. You can't keep trying to baby me like this."

"You're my best friend. It's my job to take care of you."

"I can take care of myself."

"I didn't make up the rules."

At that, he leaned in to place one, single kiss onto her forehead. As soon as his lips touched her skin, she felt that very same emotion from before poking at her brain again. This time, it was stronger and much more determined, as if its mission was to have her  _understand_  it. Yet again, before she could understand or at least get a synonym to describe it, it was cut off. By  _him_. And the very little that she felt, it made her tumbling stomach grow worse and her red face, even hotter. That little bit had fanned those burning flames right back to life - but  _what was it_?

"Don't worry," he told her as he released her chin to wipe the kiss off of her forehead with the flat of his thumb. "I got it. Just promise me that you'll be more careful."

Raven felt her brows knitting of their own accord. What? "Why are you doing that?"

He stopped, blinking in confusion. "Doing what?"

She almost shrunk away from his touch.  _What was happening_? It could not  _possibly_ be just her. How could he be acting so normally if that little nugget that was setting her own emotions off came from  _him_? It came straight from _his heart_ , but he was not even affected. And he was keeping whatever  _it_  was away from her. "Richard, I just felt something that came from you-"

"Guess who's got some more test results?!" Victor declared, his voice booming through his built-in speakers as he barged into the room, drawing the attention of both Raven and Richard. There was a content and excited grin on his face as he waggled his thumbs toward himself. "This guy!"

With a snort, Richard extended a hand to ruffle Raven's hair. "That's my cue, Tink."

She slapped his hand away. "I'm not that little."

"Not anymore, I suppose," he agreed with a smile, and she felt her stomach turn again. He had been saying that little line ever since he had gotten back, but every other time he had said that held no comparison to the way that he had said it just then. With a wave, he turned and began to make his way out. "I'll be back later to check on you guys."

"You got it, boss man." Victor saluted the other man as he walked past him before he approached Raven. His smile wavered just a bit as he watched her. "Are you okay? You look a little flushed." A pause. "Maybe I skipped a test-"

" _No_!"

Victor blinked.

"I mean..." She took in a slow breath, raising a hand to comb her fingers through her hair. "No. You did  _not_  skip a test, believe me. I'm just... Hot."

Victor continued to watch her with worried eyes, forcing her to paint a tiny smile onto her face. He was not her best friend, but he knew her well enough to see through that fake smile and not call her out on it. "Hot, huh? You did look pretty flushed when I came back into the room, so I guess that I'll accept that. But let's look through these results, okay?"

Once Raven nodded, he began to speak, right before her vision wandered off to focus on the door of the infirmary. Victor's voice faded into deep murmurs as she shifted in her seat, the sight of that door fueling a warmth that sat rather comfortably within the pit of her stomach.

**.**

The fresh and crisp air of the autumnal season had come and gone. It had taken all of its harvesting crops, crunchy and multicolored leaves, oversized pumpkins and Halloween celebrations with it, leaving only the harsh and cold winds. Just in time for winter to swoop right in, and it had swooped into Jump City quite comfortably this year. A little  _too_  comfortably, some would say.

Raven strongly concurred.

Despite there being no snow, this winter was undoubtedly one of the coldest (if not  _the_  coldest) that she had ever experienced during her time on Earth. The fall weather which had just passed should have given everyone an indicator to just how cold the following season would be. Instead, Old Man Winter sneaked up on them all, thus making it absolutely imperative for one to step out of their home with at least three layers of clothing in order to shield themselves from the frigid weather. Yet no matter how cold it was  _outside_ , Victor always made sure that the  _inside_  of the Tower was nice and toasty.

Raven's eyes scrolled down the page of her book, her brain absorbing the story's plot as if it were a dry sponge and the words, her water. Steadily and carefully, she walked down a hallway as she read the last sentence of the page in front of her, softly murmuring the words under her breath as she made an attempt to commit them to memory. A short smile spread across her face. She had been waiting  _all week_  to get to this book, and with such a busy schedule, she had almost given up all hope of doing so. But today was the day, and the wait had certainly been worth it.

Her violet eyes flickered up and off of the page for a split second, briefly and just barely registering that she had finally reached her bedroom. A black tendril of energy, thin and lanky, flipped the page of the book in her hand over to the next, allowing her to use her free hand to punch in the access code. The door opened with a soft  _swoosh_  and she took one step into her room, right before a hand grabbed her by the wrist and effectively snatched all of her attention away from her book.

A short gasp escaped her as she opened her mouth, prepared to cast a ghastly spell. The hand spun her around and she suddenly found herself face to face with her best friend.

Well. As face to face as someone of her height could possibly be with someone so tall.

" _Richard_ ," she huffed exasperatedly, sticking a finger into her book as a placeholder almost dejectedly. "You spoiled brat. I was  _this_  close to sending you off to another dimension."

It was quite clear that Richard had no intentions of apologizing for surprising her. In fact, it did not even seem like he was looking to release her wrist anytime soon, not that she had ever minded his touch (if the forehead kisses and falling asleep in the same beds were not proof enough). There was mirth twinkling and sparkling within those bright and electric-blue eyes of his, and Raven had to admit that once he had finally decided to stop wearing his mask around the Tower, it was pretty nice to have actual and  _literal_  eye contact with him in places other than their own bedrooms. There was also amusement dancing and swaying around her aura as he smiled down at her, most likely because he had managed to sneak up on her. It was worth noting then that despite being trained by Batman himself, it still always came as a surprise to her that someone as big as Richard could be so quick and light on their feet.

"I have to talk to you."

As if that were its cue, the door of her bedroom gave another  _swoosh_  as it closed behind her. Raven snorted, her arm resting idly at her side and the corner of her book grazing the skin of her thigh. "When  _don't_  you need to speak to me?"

A brow of his arched teasingly, his smile widening just a bit. "Your birthday is coming up."

Raven almost took a step back.

Oh, no.

She did not want to admit it out loud, simply because she was  _quite_  sure that there were certain repercussions to be incurred from doing so, but at the tender age of nineteen, she had ultimately been forced to resign herself to one fact: her little family was just  _into_  birthday celebrations. Namely birthday parties, no matter what the person who was actually celebrating their birthday had to say about it. Raven could fight it all she wanted to, and the gods and goddesses above and below knew that she fought  _hard_. But her team was incredibly headstrong, one thing that she had to give them as she inwardly admitted that she did appreciate all of their efforts to make her feel their love.

But her best friend had returned after almost two years, meaning that he had missed her last two birthdays. Of course, he always sent gifts and bombarded her with text messages that were filled with exclamation points, caps locked letters, and a variety of different emoticons. The messages always began their onslaught on her cellphone at exactly 12 o'clock midnight of her birthday to 12 o'clock midnight of the very next day, those of which she never answered simply because they  _never stopped_.

He had never been with her during those times, not physically. As such, the only reasonable explanation that Raven could think of to excuse this little ambush outside of her door was him looking to...  _make up for lost time_.

Raven fought the shudder, arching a brow of her own as coolly as she could without projecting any of her nervousness toward him. "And?"

"And what would you like for your birthday?"

Oh, was that it? It was a miracle that she had not exhaled the biggest sigh of relief. Instead, a tiny smile crawled its way onto her face as she shook her head, momentarily raising one shoulder. "Nothing."

"You know that I'll get you whatever you want," he continued in an attempt to persuade her, both of his brows knitting. "All you have to do is say the word."

Raven's smile grew as a chuckle slipped out, shaking her head. "I know."

"There's nowhere that you want to go? No place that you would like to visit?"

"No."

"Fine," he conceded. He looked perfectly fine about her rejection, but Raven knew better than to believe that for one second. She could feel that playfulness in his aura spiking up just so. "But you  _do_  know that you just gave me full permission to let the rest of the team continue with their party planning, right?"

Raven's smile promptly fell and she immediately began an attempt to wrench her wrist out of his hand. She knew that there was going to be a catch. "Richard, that is  _not_  funny!"

"Says  _you_." With a  _decidedly_  impish smile, he grabbed her other wrist and her book fell to the ground with a quiet  _thud_. He ignored her low growl, choosing instead to continue holding her captive. "Just tell me what you want for your birthday, and I won't let them go through with this party."

Raven tugged at her wrists with a hard grunt, but he held strong. He could not be serious about this. "You wouldn't dare."

Richard yanked her forward and she stumbled toward him with another grunt.

"Try me."

Okay. Maybe he was  _completely_  serious about this.

With as much gusto as she could muster up, she immediately tried to pull her wrists away for the second time. She knew that she could send him away with just a wiggle of her nose (one trick that she had been practicing after watching an episode of  _Bewitched_  with Garfield a few months ago), but it was fun playing with him like this - the little wrestling.  _Not_  the birthday party threats.

"You infuriating and spoiled  _brat_!" she chided him through clenched and gritted teeth. "I told you that I don't want anything, and that includes your  _stupid_  idea for a party-!"

Finally, and quite suddenly, he released one of her wrists and began to tickle her. Before she could suppress it, a surprised laugh escaped her and she fell forward, allowing him to hold her close with his free arm.

"First of all," he began almost casually, as if she was not a writhing mess of gasps and giggles in his arms as he fought to keep her there. "This party is not  _my_  idea. I know how much you hate them, and  _you_  should know that I respect you far too much to go against your wishes. The rest of the team, however, chooses to be blatantly disrespectful, which we both know is out of love. They're all pretty adamant about their plans to throw you this little shindig, and I simply thought that as your  _best friend_ , it would only be right for me to  _warn_  you. All I wanted was to give you a little heads up so that you would have enough time to make some plans, plans which may or may not fall within the same time frame as said party, thus forcing you to miss it. But since you want to be  _ungrateful_ -"

"Fine!"

His fingers immediately stopped their attack on her stomach, and she gave up trying to get away from him. Instead, she rested her forehead flat on his chest as she made an attempt to catch her breath, allowing him to hold her close as his hold on her wrist slackened considerably. She had the ability to escape anytime she wanted, they both knew it well, but it was nice to be in his arms like this - it always was.

Raven burrowed her face deeper into his chest, a soft chuckle slipping past her pants as he hugged her closer. Very gently, she felt a few loose tendrils of her hair being twirled around his finger, absentmindedly and alternatively. "Thanks for the warning."

He made a noncommittal sound, his chest rumbling beneath her cheek and his chin brushing the very top of her head as he nodded.

"But you can't keep trying to baby me like this."

Richard scoffed, and she half-expected him to say what he always said:  _you're my best friend. It's my job to take care of you_. Instead, he declared an almost somber, "I missed your last two birthdays, and I feel horrible about that. I've got to gain your forgiveness somehow, right?"

It had been months since his return, and he was still on the campaign for her forgiveness. It was petty, but she could not let him off so easily for pulling a disappearing act that lasted almost two years, not as easily as her teammates had anyway. He was already spoiled enough. Although, she had to admit that she did like the extra attention that she had been receiving as a result of this campaign - which certainly was saying something considering how much attention he already paid to her on a regular basis.

"You spoiled brat. It's not  _my_  fault that you don't know how to use a calendar and that you'll undoubtedly be taking another extended trip-  _Gah_!" An embarrassingly loud and high-pitched cry followed soon after once his fingers resumed their attack on her stomach. "Okay! Okay!"

His fingers stopped, leaving their place at her stomach to resume their task of playing with her hair as if nothing had ever happened. "I forgot how ticklish you were."

Raven simply shook her head, rubbing her forehead against his chest as she fought off a smile and the harsh breaths that threatened to pour out of her mouth. She had forgotten, too.

"And I already told you that I'm not leaving again," he continued before releasing a heavy sigh. "Rae, I really do feel bad for missing your last two birthdays."

She knew. Not only could she hear the honesty in his voice, but she felt it. It was almost painful, and it hurt  _her_  to know that her best friend was feeling this way. "It's fine. I missed two of your birthdays, too."

"You say that like you had a choice." Richard released a heavy sigh as his fingers left her hair and he hugged her close. "Listen, whatever you want and anywhere that you want to go, it's all yours. Just say the word. You know I'll give it to you."

It had been a while since she felt that strange, little burning sensation that she had felt in the infirmary the day that she had gotten hurt. Four months, to be exact. It never sneaked back with a vengeance, determined to make her stomach tumble and churn until she grew absolutely sick. It never returned to make her face so hot and so red that she was afraid of her cheeks melting right off. It never resurfaced to make her  _hot_  - to make her feel those flames or flashes of heat that she had been ashamed to admit that she liked.

In the same manner, that foreign emotion stayed away as well, no longer making any vain attempts to reach her. It never came back to poke and jab little holes into her subconscious, hoping that she would notice it before it was stopped right in its tracks. Before  _Richard_  stopped it right in its tracks. While it was almost maddening that he insisted on keeping something so intense from her, she was also glad that she never felt it again, especially when she was the only one aware of it.

The heat and that foreign emotion had sprouted their roots in the infirmary, only to die there, and Raven was all too eager to let them both die. Instead, the warmth of it all chose to linger behind, and oddly enough, it was a bit comforting. It had begun in the infirmary, so she left it there, never to be brought up again.

Until now.

In this very moment, Raven felt the burn along with that little strand of emotion reaching out for her again. She felt it all so strongly in this hallway and in front of her bedroom door that she could only be sure of one thing: all of those pretty, little words that he was saying only served to make the burn worse. He always spoke nice, encouraging and uplifting,  _pretty_  words, but at the moment, it was making her stomach turn again. Not even in the  _least_  proper way, and it was simply because it was all coming from him again. And now, she knew that the answer to his inquiry was not a  _where_  or a  _what_. It was a who. It was  _him_ , and she knew that he would make the perfect birthday present.

_Azar, no._

With a sharp gasp, she lifted her face from its place in his chest, throwing her head back to meet his eyes. She took a shaky step back, because she just knew that he had to sense the onslaught of emotions that she was feeling at the moment. He had to this time.

He followed her, taking one step forward as his brow arched in concern. "Are you okay?"

Honestly, did she  _look_  okay?! Raven could not see her face at the moment, but she did not need a mirror to know that her face was bright red. She could _feel_ the thick heat rising from her neck and seeping into her scalp before it traveled all the way down to the tips of her hair. The fact that he was asking her such a stupid question only meant that like that time in the infirmary, he was completely unaware. It was completely frustrating because she was hot and burning in the very spot that she stood. Those eyes of his had never looked so bright and hypnotizing before, and although they only ever saw him with a mask on, she suddenly understood why he had so many suitors pining after him so fervently. Raven felt a new, different feeling unlock within her; a desire to make him feel as hot as she was.

She opened her mouth to speak, a tiny squeak escaping instead because she was sure that the last part had  _all_  come from Lust, and  _she_  was supposed to be dormant and asleep. Not being tickled absolutely pink at the prospect of  _burning_  with Raven's best friend.

She needed to get away from him.

Her mouth opened to speak, the words dying on her lips as she gaped up at him. She was sure that she looked like a fish out of water. "I—I'm—I just—My room—I have to—"

"Whoops!"

The two both whirled their heads to the end of the hall, only to see Garfield standing there looking absolutely guilty. And Raven had never been so glad to see him before, because now she finally found the will to breathe.

The young changeling released a sheepish giggle, pushing his hair back as he retreated step by step. "Am I interrupting something? What am I saying? I'm totally interrupting something! Gee willikers, look at me, just stepping into the wrong hallway and  _interrupting_  things. I'll just go and leave you guys to do... _whatever_  this is that you're doing."

A weak sigh escaped her as Garfield made his escape, his heavy boots scuffling under his feet before he shifted into a bird and flew away. She shut her eyes, resting her forehead onto Richard's chest again, and his hold on her wrist immediately grew firm as he held her closer, his feelings of concern threatening to overshadow that  _other_  feeling of his.

Raven bit back the groan.

He had to let her go, and she needed to get far, far,  _far_  away from him. She did not know what  _this_  was, but she was sure that with the way Lust was purring and humming away, whatever this was sure would be a blast to give into and indulge in. That alone gave her a little clue into just how dangerous this new emotion was - and it had not even come from her. She did not know what this tiny strand of emotion was and she did not want to know, not if it was doing  _this_  to her. Especially when it was coming from her best friend and he did not even realize it. So before that stupid emotion could begin its little  _poking_  and  _prodding_  again—because she just knew that it would—she took in a deep breath.

Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos.

The breath poured out of her mouth, slowly and steadily as a wall was put between them. If he could unintentionally project and retract all of his stupid, Lust stirring emotions, then she had all the permission in the world to put up a wall and block it all before it had a chance to reach her. For now, anyway. If he asked about it, she could just act stupid and oblivious like him.

"Rae, are you all right? You had me worried there for a minute."

The wall that she had put up was not meant to last long. It was not possible for it to last long (hello, they shared a  _brain_ ). It was simply meant to keep that foreign emotion that kept agitating and stroking Lust's imagination _out_  of her head. That wall was up and Lust was currently restrained. So why could Raven still feel that emotion's touch?

She opened her eyes, frowning a bit at both her feet and his. What was going on? It should have gone away, just like it did in the infirmary. Instead, it stayed and without Lust's interference, it felt warm. This was a nice shift from that burn. It also made her feel light and airy, as if she would have been floating in the air if it had not been for his hold on her. It felt...  _nice_. Less volatile and consuming, and more innocent and freeing. Very nice.

"You..." she began in an attempt to distract herself, her voice breaking and cutting itself off. What  _was_  this feeling and why had it stayed behind this time? She swallowed and cleared her throat. "You missed my last two birthdays."

Richard hesitated, a bit perturbed and put off by her words. Nevertheless, she felt him nod. "Yeah, I did. And you should get whatever you want."

Despite how overwhelmed she felt, a soft chuckle escaped her. If he kept this up, it would not be long until she became just as spoiled as he was. "We should go out."

"We should go out?" he repeated, the shock and surprise lining his words.

Quite frankly, she was just as surprised, and this was mostly because she was sure that  _she_  had not been the one to put out that request. It had not been said as innocently as she had intended. Still, Raven continued with a nod, her forehead rubbing against his chest. "We should... go on an adventure."

"You're beginning to sound like me." The arm around her removed itself, drawing a disappointed sigh from her before his fingers resumed playing with her hair. Satisfaction immediately filled her belly. "What kind of adventure are we talking about here? It's your call, birthday girl."

With a small smile crawling its way onto her face, she finally raised her head up from its spot in his chest. She met his eyes and almost immediately, she felt her face growing inflamed once again. It was time to go. But it just felt so good to be in his arms like this. "Let's do something stupid. That seems like  _your_  area of expertise, Mr. Hothead."

His face fell, the fingers that had been playing in her hair stilling. Perfect. " _Raven_ —"

"Want to see a trick?" she asked as her smile grew, her skin getting hotter and hotter with each passing second.

He hesitated, looking like he wanted to argue. Finally, he huffed. " _Fine,_  Raven. What's the trick?"

A short and light laugh escaped her at that frustrated and defeated look on his face. He never could deny her anything. For this reason alone, it was obvious that he was much too adorable for his own good. With that final thought hardening her resolve (the resolve that  _insisted_  that she get away from him and whatever it was that was messing with her emotions), she wiggled her nose. A sudden burst of her powers immediately pushed him away from her, sending him to the wall that stood across from her bedroom.

He landed with a grunt and flat on his bottom, a few strands of his hair escaping the bun that sat right on top of his head. He raised a hand to comb the hairs back as he looked at her, confusion and amusement both fighting for a place on his face. "You're a  _genie_  now?"

Raven dug her teeth into her bottom lip, fighting off the laughter. No—there were  _giggles_  fighting to come out, not laughter. Because whenever someone thought that someone else was cute, there was never laughter. It was always  _giggles_ , cute and pretty giggles that were sometimes accompanied by a snort. In other words, the type of giggle that did not belong in Raven's mouth.

At that, she phased through the door of her bedroom, retreating into the dark, peaceful and Richard-less (one term that she  _never_  thought that she would be so happy to use) sanctuary. She reclined against the door with a sigh, suddenly out of breath. The cold metal relaxed her nerves just a bit, yet at the same time, it did absolutely nothing to soothe her warm skin.

"I hope you know that I'm keeping your book," he called out.

Raven snorted through her quiet breaths. Right before that stupid giggle which held no place in her mouth slipped out, and she made no move to stop it.

"I'm also sorry for scaring you earlier, Tink."

She knew.

"And Raven?"

She hesitated, debating on whether she should answer him or not. She took in a deep breath, one that worked to calm herself down before she released a slow sigh. Yet, there was still a smile fighting to come out. Pursing her lips, she turned her head ever so slightly to look at the door that stood behind her. "Yes?"

"That trick was cute."

Raven's smile escaped, much to her dismay, and she wiggled her nose twice. Immediately, his shout was heard before it began to fade, and she brought a hand up to her face. She did not need a mirror to know that she was red, and for some strange reason...

She was perfectly okay with that.

This could only spell trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

xoxo

* * *

Chapter Four

**_._ **

The brain is the most powerful organ within the human body—and it stands (well, floats) at a mere three pounds. Fresh blood is constantly and consistently pumped into the brain through a supply line of arteries, nourishing it with each heartbeat. A wrinkly surface covers and encapsulates the brain, aiding it with the interpretation of sensations, the generation of thoughts and ideas, the creation and storage of memories, and the control of voluntary movements. Ultimately, the brain is also made up of three main and very important parts: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. Buried deep, deep,  _deep_  within the cerebrum is one very crucial thing— _the_   _limbic system_.

Although it is extremely tiny, the limbic system is placed in complete and total control of the basic emotions, e.g., fear, happiness, and anger. At the same time, it is the main force that stands behind the drive that pushes hunger, sex, and dominance. The limbic system's primary domain was the emotions—something that Raven had never been very good at dealing with. She had been trained and taught by the ancient monks of Azerath to fight the urge to feel, to remain absolutely apathetic, and being liberated from the shackles of her father did not help. Yes, she was free to feel as much as she pleased, but what was she to  _do_  with these feelings and emotions? There just  _so_  many of them, and some were just  _so_  strong and intense. Dealing with these...  _things_  were not her forte, and because of this it had always been easier to refer directly to the source of those pesky emotions rather than to deal with them head-on.

The brain—the cerebrum— _the_   _limbic system_.

It made sense to link  _gut feelings_  to both the system and the emotions that it controlled. Although, many would (and could rightly) argue that this was wrong; after all, it was a  _gut_  feeling, and that had nothing to do with the brain or the head area in general. It had  _everything_  to do with instinct and senses, however, and mostly everyone could agree that a feeling like  _suspicion_  could  _very_  easily fall within the categories of both instinct and emotion.

Suspicion (n.) - a feeling or thought that something is possible, likely, or true.

— _synonyms_ ; doubt, cynicism, distrust, funny feeling, mistrust, fear, apprehensiveness, foreboding, worry.

Very rarely was it ever a good thing for anyone to dwell on an emotion like suspicion. In fact, suspicion was more of a rather dangerous thing than it was ever a good thing, especially when a best friend was involved. The thought alone had Raven contemplating just how much damage would be done to her brain if she were to rip her very own limbic system right out of her head, and it was all  _his_  fault— _that rotten and spoiled brat!_ —whether he truly was aware of it all or not. And it was not fair or right; not at all.

It was not fair that Richard could just tell her stupid riddles, and place stupid kisses onto her forehead ( _"don't worry, I got it."_ ), and smile that stupid smile, and look at her with those pretty, electric-blue, and  _stupid!_  eyes of his while she was stuck burning. Honestly, Raven could not even think about any of that without fighting off a smile or a giggle ( _her, giggling_?). The mere  _mentioning_  of it all had her hot and red-faced, and it was absolutely embarrassing because she did not know what to make of this. She did not even know how to address it without feeling dumb because he did not know what she was talking about. He knew nothing of the emotion that he was inadvertently allowing to slip through the cracks of their bond, and he had no recollection of pulling that very same emotion away  _right_  before she had a chance to distinguish and study it.

After two years of physical separation, Raven should have been enjoying her time with her best friend. She should have been enjoying spending time in his company, just like she always had done before he had gone; she should have been enjoying her best friend—period. Yet how could she do any of that when she was  _suspicious_ of him? While this whole situation was unfair, it was also a bit scary to realize that she was thinking of him in this way. The last time she was suspicious of Richard was around the same time that the team had been formed and he had begun watching her because of her powers. Honestly, they were suspicious of each other ( _"I'm your leader. It's my job to look after you."_ ), but at least she was actually truthful about it. The only (and biggest) difference between now and then was that he was currently her best friend, and she wanted him to  _stay_  as her best friend. She did not want to lose him simply because she was suspicious of him, because the one person that someone should  _never_  be suspicious of was their best friend.

Unfair and  _unnerving_  was what this all was!  _Completely_  unnerving!

**_._ **

Victor had always been a walking contradiction—by society's standards, anyway.

He was a bionic man, or simply put, a robot; half-human and half-technology. The computerized half of his brain literally was a computer, one that could find the answer to any little question that they had at the speed of light. His arm was an interchangeable weapon that could be switched between a sonic canon and chainsaw, and whatever else that he felt fit the moment. He had to plug himself into a computer to recharge his battery every night because  _he was a robot_ ; a walking, talking weapon. And yet he was the kindest person Raven had ever met.

His aura was very  _warm_  and welcoming, just like he was, and that never changed no matter how angry or frustrated he became. The joviality of his mere presence and demeanor drew people to him like a magnet, whether he meant to do so or not. It was almost endearing that such a kind trait didn't match up with his almost daunting appearance, which was probably why people genuinely and sincerely liked him so much. That being said, out of all of her fellow Titans, Victor was, without a single doubt, the easiest one to befriend.

This was not a  _strange_  conclusion for Raven to come to, neither was it a new revelation. Although Richard was her very best friend, Raven had always known that if it had not been him, it would have been Victor. The bionic man was just _so easy_  to talk to, and his amiable disposition was pleasant enough to soothe her nerves and rattled emotions—just like Richard. Their auras—Victor's warm and welcoming one versus her harsh, bleak, and unpleasant one—they meshed well together. Their personalities mixed—and the two of them,  _they_  mixed.

They clicked, it all clicked. Just like it had all clicked for her and Richard.

Raven had always known that if it had not been for the bond that she and Richard shared,  _Victor_  would have been her best friend. It would have been Victor. It  _should_  have been Victor, but Richard stood in the way, and Raven had a sneaking suspicion (there that  _word_  went again) that Richard knew it just as well as she did. She loved her best friend and was grateful for his presence in her life (even with all the burning), but Raven would never  _voluntarily_  choose to link herself both mentally and emotionally to a spoiled brat for the remainder of both of their lives.

But fate was a funny thing that rarely ever gave people what they wanted, but  _always_  gave them what they needed.

"What's on your mind, Little Bird?"

The sudden sound of Victor's slightly muffled voice startled her, forcing her to acknowledge the sharp smell of motor oil that was currently permeating her senses and the air of the garage around them both. Surprisingly enough, she liked the smell of it; it was soothing, just like his presence. The blaring  _clangs_ ,  _whirs_ , and  _hisses_  were also slowly coming into focus, just as her mind was. Those sounds were pretty soothing, too.

Even from her seat on the little stepladder, Raven could tell that he was a bit too satisfied with knowing that he had successfully surprised her. She crossed her arms, scowling at the robotic feet that were peeking out from underneath the T-car. "What is  _wrong_  with everyone? I'm not that little."

_No_ , Richard's voice chimed in her head, along with a light chuckle.  _Not anymore, I suppose_.

Almost immediately, her face was hot. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms against her chest a little bit more as she looked away. He was such an annoying  _brat._

"You're tinier than me," Victor pointed out, continuing with their conversation.

A smile pulled at the corners of Raven's mouth, a strange sense of relief rushing over her. "Well, that's because you're a giant."

"Compared to  _you_." A pause. " _Tiny_  Bird."

Her face fell, along with her smile. "I like the other name better..."

A deep, jovial laugh poured itself out of Victor's mouth and immediately a blanket of warmth encompassed her in a hug, almost as if his aura was personally reaching out to her in order to apologize for their owner's teasing. It made her relax in her seat, allowing her to smile as she went back to watching his feet. "Something's bothering you, I can tell. You're thinking and muttering pretty loudly over there. I mean, I can't really hear anything from underneath this car, but that tone sounded _pretty_ agitated."

Of course Raven was agitated. Her best friend was thoroughly confusing her and making her feel  _things_  that she did not want to feel.

"It's Richard," she began. "He's... He's been acting strange."

"Sorry, but you'll have to elaborate. Richard's always acting strange."

Well, he was right about that.

Raven sighed, uncrossing her arms to rest her elbows on her thighs. She placed her chin in a palm as she thought, looking around the garage for something to help her choose her words correctly. "Fine, he's acting strang _er_  than usual. The day that Cinderblock hurt me, do you remember that?"

"How could I forget?" A sharp  _clang!_  resounded from underneath the car and he grunted, soft whirring sounds following soon after. "You scared all of us that day."

She rolled her eyes, tapping the pads of her fingertips on her face. "Yeah, and Richard was being all overprotective–"

"As always."

"–and giving a pretty, little speech–"

"As always."

"He told me that he was afraid to lose me, that he missed me while he was in Gotham and he 'wasn't trying to lose me once he got me back'. I didn't think anything of that; I'm used to him being such a spoiled brat."

"But then?" Although Victor's voice sounded much clearer, the tone was filled with a hunger to figure out exactly what was going on with his friends. An almost quiet hunger.

"But then..." Raven bit on her bottom lip, chewing on it as she finally found something to focus her eyes on: a can of paint. The hand that held her chin up fell, allowing her to tilt her head to the side as she watched the paint.

"That was when I felt it," she said. "He was scared and nervous when he was speaking with me, but there was something else. A third emotion that managed to sneak through our bond, but before I could find out what it was... it disappeared.  _He_  made it disappear."

Victor hummed contemplatively, almost as if he was searching that super brain of his for an answer to her dilemma. "Why do you think he pulled it back? You guys are best friends and you basically share a brain. Don't you guys share everything else?"

Raven rushed to look at his feet, only to be met with his worried eyes. He was no longer hiding underneath the car, but was now sitting upright on his rolling board.

"That's what  _I_  thought," she replied. "I asked him about it, but he said that he didn't know what I was talking about. It's the same thing every time we're together. That stupid emotion reaches out to me, I almost catch it, and  _poof_! He pulls it right back before I can find out what it means."

Victor's brows knitted in confusion. "Damn."

She sucked her teeth. "Honestly, Victor, that mouth."

"Hey," he began with a smile, "This isn't about my mouth; it's about you and your best friend. Anyway, I'd be pretty agitated, too, if I were in your place. You did mention that that emotion sneaked through your bond, so that must be good for something. You're good with words. Give me one word that describes how that emotion makes you feel."

" _Hot_."

"Excuse me?!"

It took all of Raven's might to keep herself from clapping a hand over her mouth. The dumbfounded look on Victor's face made her realize just how quickly she had blurted that word out. With a groan, she slapped both of her hands flat over her face, fingers against closed eyes and palms against burning cheeks—mostly because she could not believe what she was about to say. Honestly, this was worse than girl talks with Kori.

"It gets me  _hot_ , Victor,  _okay_? It gets me so hot that it's embarrassing. It makes my face turn bright red and makes me feel like it's going to fall off. It makes me nervous, and not the  _bad_  kind of nervous, but the  _weird_  kind of nervousness that forces giggles out of my stomach and through my mouth.  _Giggles_ , Victor. And it all just gets worse every time we're together."

"...and this all started after you got hurt? After he was afraid to lose you?"

"Yes."

"Tiny Bird, he has got a  _crush_  on you."

Raven parted her fingers, peeking out from the darkness they created only to find a bit of a knowing smile on Victor's face. Gods and goddesses above and below, this could  _not_  be happening. It would be a lie to say that the thought had never crossed her mind, but it held a completely different and much heavier weight when it came from someone else. She dropped her hands from her face to point an accusing finger at him. "You, stop all that smiling  _right_  this minute. He can't have a crush on me, he's my best friend. Isn't that against the rules or something?"

"Raven," Victor laughed out as he held his hands up, his smile growing into a grin with each passing second. "Having a crush on your best friend isn't against the rules at all, and that's because there  _are_  no rules. But I've got to be completely honest with you, Rae, I was wondering when you were finally going to catch on."

She blinked. " _Excuse_  me?"

He shook his head and reclined onto the car door behind him, his laughter dwindling down into soft chuckles. He arched a brow. "I don't know if you've noticed, but you're not that little anymore. I mean, you're littler than  _me_. What I mean to say is that you're pretty hot, and  _I'm_  pretty sure that your best friend has noticed. He probably wasn't expecting to see...  _you_  when he got back."

Raven felt her face grow a bit warm. She noticed; she simply assumed that it did not matter. She  _certainly_  had not been expecting Richard to return looking the way that he did, either. She looked away, avoiding Victor's eyes as she resumed staring at that can of paint. She shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. Just because I'm attractive now doesn't mean that he's grown certain feelings for me. He's a man, but he isn't a stupid one."

"Hm. You're right about that. We can all agree that he isn't a stupid man, but he sure is a  _spoiled_  one. Your looks might not have done it, but almost losing you was probably pushed him over the edge. He's a brat, a spoiled one. You, his best friend, said so yourself, so it must be true," Victor finally deduced as-a-matter-of-factly. He waited a moment for Raven to argue, continuing after she remained silent. "But I will say this: I do believe that he's not aware of that emotion he's letting slip into your head. It's not the  _emotion_  that he's catching and pulling away from you right before you can catch it—it's  _himself_. And as spoiled as he is, I bet that he's as afraid to lose you as you're afraid to lose him."

Raven had to admit that Victor's analysis made sense. It was pretty simple for a spoiled brat to adjust and conform to a lifestyle that pleased them. It was  _easy_  for a spoiled brat to adapt to this. But as soon as there was a possibility that this lifestyle would be snatched away from them, they would fight to the death to keep it all to themselves.  _Theirs, all theirs_. Except Richard was not trying to catch her at all. Instead, he was doing his very best not to  _lose_  her—all while keeping up with his perfect poker faces.  _If_  what Victor had come up with was true, that is.

She frowned. "But why is it bothering  _me_  so much? One little poke of an emotion shouldn't be sending  _all_  of my emotions into a tizzy."

"Whatever that emotion is must be drawing something out of you," he spoke, and his muffled voice was paired with the  _clangs_ ,  _whirs_ , and  _hisses_  starting up again. "Maybe you've got a crush on him, too, and you just don't know it yet. That wouldn't be too surprising since you both share a brain."

For some strange reason, a tiny smile began to tug at Raven's lips. Nothing about this talk made her feel any better about this situation. Actually, it made her feel a bit more confused. But she had to admit that it felt very good to know she had such good friends; ones who would take time out of their day to help her. "How long have you suspected that he's had a crush on me?"

"About three and a half months. Garfield finally caught on last month once he caught you two canoodling– _his_  wording, not mine–in front of your bedroom door. Kori claims that it had always been obvious how  _enamored_  he was of you, but he just didn't know it yet." Victor released a smug giggle. "We had a bet going to see how long it would take you to figure it out, and  _guess_  who just won?!"

That explained why he could not stop smiling. Raven scratched at her scalp with a heavy sigh, less concerned with the probability of her best friend having a crush on her, even less concerned with the fact that her teammates had been placing bets on her, and much more concerned with the possibility that  _she_  might have a crush on her best friend.

"Victor, I just don't want to lose him over this," she said. "I can't. He's my best friend."

If Richard were here to see her so distressed, he would already be standing in front of her. He would be holding her in his arms and comforting her to the best of his abilities. He would be placing little kisses onto her forehead and wiping them off with the flat of his thumb, right before he began messing with her hair. He would be talking all pretty for her like he always did, making her laugh and smile with stupid riddles that were no match for her intellect because he hated to see his best friend upset. He would drop everything just to spoil her with his attention—he would get her  _hot_ , without even knowing it.

And for this, Raven was glad that she was with Victor.

All of the sounds of Victor's working came to a halt. "Raven," he spoke, his voice as loud and clear as the concern laced inside his words. "This is really bothering you, huh?"

"I... I'm trying not to let it," she admitted with a frown. "But it's hard."

_No frowning, Tink. I hate it when you frown._

She shifted in her seat.

"I'll make it easier for you," Victor began. "It's perfectly fine to let yourself fall because there will always be a net underneath to catch you. Sometimes that net catches you"—he snapped his fingers—"just like that. And sometimes it takes a while for that net to catch you, sometimes you have to free fall until it does. But that net is  _always_  there, you'll get caught, and you'll be okay. Do you know who said that?"

After a moment of hesitation, she finally met his eyes. "Great-grandma Stone?"

"Great-grandma Stone  _never_  lies." At that, Victor laid back onto his board and rolled right back underneath the T-car with a sharp  _whir_! "Let yourself fall for once. It'll be fine. Plus, I'll get even more money."

A laugh forced itself out of Raven's mouth, her eyes watching him as he went back to working on the car. It really was  _his_  car more than it was the team's; he should have named it the  _Cy_ -car. She was surprised that he actually allowed her to work on it with him. Her fingers fidgeted. "I know that you guys are planning a surprise party for my birthday."

There was a sudden  _thud!_ , which was most likely the sound of Victor hitting his head. "A party? Wh- _what_? Who throws parties anymore? Who has  _birthdays_  anymore?! Heh, I didn't even know that you  _had_  a birthday, Raven!"

"We celebrated it last year."

"O-oh, is  _that_  what that was? I thought that that was just a... a celebration... of exiting the womb."

Raven smiled. What a horrible liar. "I'm going to miss it."

With a groan, Victor pushed himself from underneath the car to look at her. "Please do  _not_  tell me that the world is ending  _again_!"

She arched a brow.

He blinked before releasing a sheepish chuckle. "Uh.  _Heh_. What I  _meant_  to say was that you won't be missing anything because there won't  _be_  anything to miss. But if there  _were_  to be a party that you would be missing,  _which there won't be_ "—he paused to give a nervous giggle—"Why would you be missing it?"

Raven levitated from her seat to stand flat on the ground, picking up the toolbox that sat beside her feet as she approached the car. "Save some cake for me and Richard."

Victor actually squealed. "Are two going out on a birthday date–?!"

She twirled a single finger in the air and a sudden burst of dark energy pushed Victor flat on his back, right before the rolling board returned to its rightful position underneath the car.

"Very funny, Tiny Bird."

Raven simply allowed a smirk to adorn her lips and she popped the hood of the car open.

**_._ **

There was a certain danger that came along with being best friends with someone of the opposite sex, or even the same sex depending on one's sexual orientation. A best friend is someone's closest consort and confidante, meaning that they knew everything that their friend had to offer. They knew the good, the bad, and the ugly, and yet they still cared. Despite how horrid one's past may be, and how horrid their future may look, they continue to love and care for their friend. This was a best friend. For this reason (and this reason was sound enough to stand on its own), best friends were probably the easiest people to fall for.

Raven was not in love with Richard. Yes, she loved him, but he was her  _best friend_ ; loving him was a definite, and not loving him was impossible. But she was woman enough to admit the things that he made her feel, the feelings that he had stirred up from within her—all to herself, of course. Despite Victor's speculations, she was not sure if she could call this a crush. She had only had crushes twice in her life, and both before she had turned sixteen years old, but the feelings that came from both of those crushes could never compare to how she felt now. Not even if they were combined.

The crush that she had on Aqualad was a sweet one. It made her  _feel_  sweet, as if she had eaten way too many candies and sweets, and was walking around with heart bubbles floating around her head. Aqualad was polite and pretty to look at, but this slight infatuation did not last for more than two days. As soon as she and the rest of the team left their handsome friend, Raven's eyes were opened and clear—it was just a schoolyard crush. The crush that she had on Malchior, however, was much darker. He made her feel wanted and  _desired_ , like a  _woman_  and the only one in the universe, much less the world. And it all ended in disaster once he got what he wanted and revealed his true self.

This  _thing_  that she had for Richard... She was not sure if she could call it a  _crush_. This word was much too... measly; it was not enough to describe these feelings. It took the sweetness from her first crush and extracted the dark, burning sensations out of her second one to create a strange concoction that made her want to peel her skin off and have him kiss it all back on. It would be easy to declare that that strange emotion of his that had been poking around in her head had simply stirred Lust up, except it was not that simple. It was not  _just_  Lust; Happy was happier, Brave was pushing her to do stupid things, Timid was siding with Brave, and Knowledge was actually backing this all up. And Rage? Although this emotion had not acted up since the defeat of Trigon, it was still prone to episodes. But now, she was absolutely tranquil and at peace.

This entire situation was strange, confusing, and new—and it was all because she  _refused_  to call this a crush, because it was not. Not by her standards. However, this was not a romantic love, but it made her want her best friend in a way that was not simply  _friendly_  at all. With that being said, while Raven was woman enough to admit what she was feeling, she could also admit just how easy it would be to fall in love with him. It would be incredibly easy to fall for Richard, her best friend, almost  _ridiculously_  so, because he  _knew_  her and she knew  _him_ —both of them, inside and out. They knew each other's hearts and minds intimately, and they practically shared a brain.

But in many friendships, if there were no boundaries and no caution, heartbreak would come just as easily as the love did. There was an  _acute_  danger here, one that she had not been aware of until just recently. So, Raven pushed all of her suspicions aside to make room for her denial and her blind eye.

Well.

She  _tried_.

It seemed that the more energy that Raven attempted to put into ignoring her growing feelings for Richard by acting like they were not there, the stronger the universe plotted against her. As fate would have it, she was now being forced to realize that those emotions, they were there. Those feelings were  _real_ , absolutely real.

And it was terrifying.

**_._ **

It was the fingers playing with her hair that woke Raven up that night, the almost absent-minded and lazy strokes passing through her tresses. The soft touches felt very good and soothing, almost soothing enough to make her fall back asleep within the same moment of her acknowledging these sensations. A normal person would have immediately rushed out of bed to investigate just who was playing in their hair as a means to wake them up and  _why_ , but she already knew who it was. Only  _one_  person had the audacity to just lay in her bed and play with her hair without asking, and their relationship was nowhere near normal. Not anymore, at least.

Raven's eyes fluttered open as she sat up in her bed, pulling away from his fingers almost reluctantly. Normally, she would have simply burrowed herself deeper into his warmth, indulging herself in both his touch and presence as they spoke; they did that sometimes, waking each other up in the middle of the night just to talk. But once again, things were not normal and  _she_  could not really act as if they were. As soon as she caught the sight of him sitting in her bed, back reclined against the headboard, she could feel her face burning. Suddenly, she was  _very_  glad that they were sitting in the dark.

She looked to the clock sitting on her nightstand, her brows knitting at the time before she looked back at him. There was a smile on his face, an impossibly impish one, and despite how strange and new this all felt to her, she could not fight the tiny smile that was crawling onto her own face. A chuckle fell from her mouth. "How did you get me to wake up at 12 on the dot?"

Richard simply raised a finger to tap his temple three times.

Before she knew it, she was laughing and his smile grew.  _Right_ , they shared a brain. With a shake of her head, she pushed her hair back, tucking the stray strands behind her ears. "Fine. A better question, then:  _why_  am I up at 12 on the dot?"

"Ah," he finally spoke, the bass of his voice filling the silence of her bedroom. Quite frankly, as annoying and pitchy as his voice had previously been, Raven did not think that it was even possible for his voice to get this deep. It was a nice contrast to his old voice and sounded much better in person than it did over the phone. His eyes—bright, blue, and electric as ever—were slowly filling up with mischief. The sight almost made her shiver. Almost. "It's your birthday."

Raven's brows jumped, right before they knitted in confusion. "It is?"

"It most certainly is." At that, he got off of her bed, stretching his arms out and into the air with a groan. He allowed his body to sag a bit before he picked himself back up, pointing a single finger at her as the impishness of his smile radiated off of him and seemed to encompass the entire room. "You said that you wanted to go on an adventure for your birthday–"

"Richard, you can  _not_  be serious–"

"–and as your best friend in the entire universe," he continued as if she had said absolutely nothing at all. "It's my  _duty_  to make sure that this adventure happens."

An incredulous laugh escaped her as she looked around her bedroom, searching for some sort of explanation as to why the universe chose to give  _her_ an such impulsive and spoiled brat as her best friend. Honestly, she really should have known better than to mention anything about  _adventures_  to him. "Richard, I was being  _facetious_!"

He snorted. "When  _aren't_  you being facetious?"

Raven tried to glare at him, she really did. Instead, she ended up with a weak attempt of narrowing her eyes at him and rolling her tongue around in her mouth in an effort to keep herself from smiling. She pursed her lips, crossing her arms as she did so. "You're spoiled, you know that?"

With a shrug, he walked around her bed to stand before her. He held a hand out. "I'd spoil you even worse if you'd let me."

There was a distinct  _undertone_  in his words, and Raven was not sure if it was really there or if she was just imagining it. As she watched his hand, her stomach flipped twice ( _yes, she counted_ ) and that familiar burning sensation started up right in the pit of it.

"I wouldn't let you spoil me," she said.

"You wouldn't have a choice, Princess."

_That_  certainly was a new nickname. It was taking all of her might not to acknowledge the way Lust  _purred_  at the sound of that new pet name. It took all of her might and then some for her not to acknowledge the way that it was about to make  _her_  purr—and it could have if she had not been so reserved. She shook that off and met his eyes, her smile finally escaping at the sight of his own. His smile always made her smile back; it was both contagious and comforting. "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere you want to go."

"Anywhere  _I_  want to go?"

"It is  _your_  birthday."

Raven laughed quietly, pulling her arms closer to herself as she looked away from his hand to scan her bedroom for any ideas. He really would spoil her absolutely rotten if she let him, especially when she was positive that this was all a part of his campaign for forgiveness. Although, she did have to admit that he had already done a pretty good job of spoiling her, whether he knew it or not. Maybe she was just as bad as he was. With a sigh, she met his eyes and arched a brow. "You still feel guilty about staying away for two years, don't you?"

" _Almost_  two years, Tink."

"I'm not that little anymore, Richard."

A corner of his mouth quirked up. "I know."

Raven almost shirked back, and it was all because she had not been expecting  _that_ answer. She had been preparing herself for that ' _no, not anymore, I suppose_ '. She was not ready for an acknowledgment, much less a  _contented_  acknowledgment. For some reason, that response alone pushed her to uncross her arms and take his outstretched hand, allowing him to guide her out of her bed. She watched their joined hands carefully.

"Anywhere I want?" she asked.

" _Anywhere_  you want."

She met his eyes. "I want ice cream."

Richard's mouth curled with a strange mix of confusion and disgust. "Raven, it's midnight and it's  _cold_  outside; let's be reasonable–"

"You spoiled  _brat_!" Raven pulled her hand out of his own with a laugh, pushing past him to make her way to the closet.

"Yeah, yeah," she heard him chuckle, her bed releasing a low moan just as he resumed laying on it. "Go ahead and get changed, and we can head out. I won't watch."

There was a sharp pause.

"I mean, unless you  _want_  me to watch–"

" _Richard_."

"That's obviously a ' _no_ '."

Raven simply laughed and grabbed for her boots.

**_._ **

Just as Richard had promised her, their first stop was the ice cream parlor:  _Ye Olde Ice Cream Shoppe_.

Much to Raven's surprise, this little shop was still open for business well after midnight. Once she expressed to Richard her confusion and fascination regarding this new discovery, he, with a smile fit for a Boy Scout, admitted that he had bought the place out just for tonight. He had a  _feeling_  that the little parlor would be her first birthday request, which honestly came as no surprise to her.

A brief feeling of euphoria swept over Raven as her ice cream melted on her tongue, a slow sigh slipping out of her nose. Cookies and cream, her absolute  _favorite_ flavor of ice cream, seemed to taste so much sweeter after almost two years of separation. While it was true that she had eaten bits and tiny morsels of the ice cream while her best friend had been away, it was also true that it simply did not taste the same. It tasted good— _better_ —now that he was back and sitting across from her at their usual seats, even if things were a bit different between them.

"You're quiet."

Raven's brows shifted as she watched her ice cream. She was trying very,  _very_  hard to keep herself from frowning at it, because  _no frowning, Tink_. The sweetness was beginning to wane a little. "I'm thinking."

Her best friend did not respond with an, " _I didn't bring you out here just so you could think_." Nor did he reply with a quick, " _You're smart enough to realize what a waste of money this outing is_." Instead, he declared a short and easy:

"That can't be good."

This response made her smile much easier than the other possible answers ever could or would have. She arched a brow as she stirred her desert. That was usually his schtick; stirring his ice cream. "I beg your pardon? I'm always thinking."

"Fine." Richard crossed his arms over his broad chest, reclining into his seat as if he needed to get comfortable for this. He tilted his head to the side as he watched her. "Are these good or bad thoughts?"

She hesitated. "I... I'm not very sure."

"Oh, that  _definitely_  can't be good."

Raven found herself fighting the growth of her smile, pursing her lips tightly before it finally hit her: he was right. This really was  _not_  good. Not at all. She had tried so hard to ignore her own feelings for him, and the possibility of his feelings for her, but it had all been in vain—and she tried, she really tried. But the more that she thought about ignoring her feelings for him, and the more effort that she put into actually ignoring these feelings and pretending that everything was normal, the more intensely these feelings grew and solidified. Everything was  _not_  normal, and she did not know what to do.

For the first time in her life, Raven was not sure how to adapt.

"Hey, hey." Richard's voice was hushed, but the worry was clear and apparent. He reached across the table to grab for her hands, forcing her to release her bowl of ice cream. It fell to the table with a dull  _thud_  and she jerked with a short gasp, finally noticing the fine cracks that were now lining the bowl's previously flawless surface. "Let's relax and breathe, all right, Rae?"

Raven blinked, and it finally dawned on her that there were short, shallow breaths pushing themselves out of her mouth. This was not a panic attack, she was sure of it, but it was close enough. It could have been a panic attack if he had allowed her to dwell on her thoughts for just one more second. Ironically enough, the same person who had saved her from this was the same one who prompted it.

She took in a slow and shuddering breath, releasing it through her lips.

"Much better," he signed out in relief. "I think I hate seeing you panic more than I hate seeing you frown, Tink. Whatever this is... it's really bothering you, huh?"

A scoff pushed itself right out of Raven's mouth, and this was simply because she was sure that truer words had never been spoken. At the moment, she was trying her very best to ignore just how good it felt to have him holding her hands so tightly. She was actually weighing the pros and cons of staying like this versus pulling her hands away. She shook her head. "You have no idea."

Richard squeezed her hands.

Raven fought the urge to just grab his face and kiss him.

"What's wrong?"

Another scoff escaped her, this one filled with despair. She had just come to terms with her feelings for her best friend while eating ice cream—and her  _favorite flavor_ , too,  _ugh_ —and her first thought regarding this acceptance was to  _grab him by the face and kiss him_. She watched their hands carefully for a moment, taking an extra second to steady her heartbeat before she finally rose her chin to look at him.

Happiness sighed, Lust purred, and Knowledge threw her books away—all at the same time.

Raven swallowed hard. She was in some  _deep_  trouble. "I don't know how to vocalize this or put into words."

His brows—dark, full, and expressive—jumped over his sunglasses in surprise. "You? This  _must_  be big."

A tiny smile tugged at her lips, a slightly rueful one. "You have no idea."

Richard watched her for a moment, his mouth twitching once or twice before he leaned in. "Raven, you know that you can tell me anything. You don't have to handle anything by yourself whether you're a half demon, full blooded demon, or just a human. I'm here."

It was true, he was there. Her best friend never allowed her to take a task on by herself, whether it was difficult or not—he was  _always_  there for her. But this time, it did not matter how pretty he spoke for her, because  _he_  was the problem.

Raven pulled her hands out of his— _reluctantly_ , of course—and she crossed her arms over her chest as she declined into her seat, mirroring his previous position. "I've been meaning to ask you this for a while: who taught you how to talk so pretty?"

The sudden change of subject did not seem to bother him; they both knew that she would speak whenever she was ready. He chuckled, the sound deep, low, and full of a rough bass that made her cross her legs underneath their table. "The Dark Knight, himself."

"Of course," the two friends declared in unison.

He could not sound any prouder. Her voice was practically laced in sarcasm.

Nevertheless, Raven allowed herself to laugh. Richard may have been the problem within this entire situation, but he was also her best friend, and her best friend always made her feel better. She combed her fingers through her hair, scratching at her scalp with the padding of her fingers with a short sigh. "Sorry for freaking out."

He looked offended as he shook his head. "Don't be sorry. I'd much rather have you freaking out when you're with me, rather than when you're alone. I'm your best friend, Rae, it's my job to take care of you."

Raven's stomach turned at his words. The Dark Knight sure did do a good job with this one. Her smile grew just a bit as she looked to his bowl of ice cream. Tonight's flavor, or rather, this  _morning's_  flavor—stemming from the fact that it was steadily approaching two in the morning—was  _Avominty_ : avocado mixed with peppermint and sour cream. The name alone was enough to make her shudder with disgust. Yet, she still found herself licking her spoon clean and reaching out for this... _Avominty_.

"May I have some?"

Richard jerked backwards in his seat, his mouth pursing with confusion before his upper lip wobbled a bit. He was fighting a smile. "That's new."

_Pfft_.

Raven had grown romantic feelings for her best friend— _everything_  was new. She might as well get some new and nasty ice cream into her system while she was at it. With one twitch of her nose, her powers manifested into a dark and thin film. It shot out to grab his bowl of ice cream and slide it over to sit beside her own bowl. She stuck her spoon in it. "All in the name of adventure, right?"

"I've  _got_  to find out what this problem is," he declared with a shake of his head as he laughed. He rested his elbow onto the table and placed his chin into his palm as he watched her. "I wasn't lying when I said that that little trick was cute, Princess."

Her face began to burn at the sound of that nickname almost immediately, and she took that as her cue to take some of that ice cream and stick it in her mouth. She needed something to quell this burning. The taste certainly was different from her regular and preferred flavor, but that was to be expected. Cookies and cream was all that she was used to, which did not necessarily mean that this Avominty was  _absolutely_  gross.

"How is it?"

"It tastes like a fishy sherbet." As he released another laugh, Raven reached for her coat that was hanging from the back of her seat. She was getting antsy sitting here with him like this, another quality that was supposed to be strictly his. She stuck another scoop of ice cream into her mouth before she stood, pulling her coat on arm by arm. "Come on. Don't you have some more forgiveness that needs to be earned?"

Richard was on his feet at once and pulling his own coat on. She had a feeling that he had been itching to go for a while; he never could stay in one place for too long unless he was sleeping or working on a case, and even those were not a guarantee. "Where are we going next?"

Raven walked past him. "What, am I not a  _Princess_  anymore?"

With a snort, he caught her by the hood of her coat and gently tugged her back to him. He slung an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. "Fine. Where are we going next,  _Princess_?"

She fought the smile, mostly because she really should not have been indulging herself in such a nickname.  _Especially_  when she was all too aware of the way that it affected her and her emotions. Before she knew it, one of those stupid giggles were spilling out of her mouth. "That forest you took me to."

"Raven, it's two in the morning and it's cold as all hell outside."

"Hell isn't  _cold_ , Richard."

Instead of arguing with her, not that he logically could on this particular subject, he placed a single kiss onto her forehead.

And Raven was not sure how to tell him that she did not want him to wipe it off this time.

**_._ **

Being an empath was a bit tricky, and this was something that Raven had no qualms about admitting; she had always known this simple fact to be true.

Empath (n.) - a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual.

Harboring this gift of empathy was not difficult, nor was it necessarily very easy. It was right smack-dab in the middle of the spectrum— _neutral_. There were days, however, when it truly was easy to be an empath. Whenever the team was engaged in a battle, it helped to know whether or not their opponent truly did have vile intentions or if they were simply confused and had fallen off track (the Titans always made sure to help out with the latter). Empathy was also a good sixth sense to carry around whenever she was having a bad day and had simply woken up on the wrong side of the bed. All Raven needed to do was come into contact with a high-spirited and jovial personality, and her dark cloud would immediately be lifted.

Garfield and Kori were  _especially_  perfect for those days.

There was also a dark side to her empathic powers—the yin versus the yang; the shady side versus the bright side. Despite the fact that she was no longer under the influence of her father, Raven was still a half-demon; that dark and demonic blood still coursed through her veins, and she could not deny this heritage. It always felt so much easier for her to draw from the dark energies that surrounded her because of this—her inner demon would literally  _reach out_  to the darkness. It put her in a dark place, made her want to isolate and seclude herself more than usual because all of the fighting she did inside made her tired. Horrible thoughts would fill her mind and make her cringe; sometimes she felt like all she needed to do was take  _one_ step, and she would be on the wrong side of justice. Some days, the energies were not inherently evil, just dull enough to make her feel gloomy and exhausted. Whenever these moments hit, it immediately became her responsibility to monitor both her emotions and the emotions of those who were affecting her, simply because she was so acutely aware of it all.

Without a doubt, the simplest days for an empath would be whenever the energies that surrounded them did not come from the shady side— _yin_ —nor from the bright side— _yang_. The simple days came whenever everything, energies and all, balanced themselves perfectly in the middle: in neutral. Just like now, the energies that Raven was drawing from did not rest on the side of either yin nor yang, and everything was balancing themselves out pretty well. But this moment, it certainly was... strange.

She felt incredibly  _off_  balance.

She felt  _drunk_.

To be perfectly honest, Raven was not even sure if this was the proper word to describe how she felt, simply because she had never been drunk one day of her life. She had never even had a single sip of liquor. The ancient elders and teachers of Azerath denounced alcoholic beverages because they dulled the senses and destroyed the body—drunkenness was  _dangerousness_. It supplied a temporary high and happiness that seemed to fade away much too quickly, giving way to easy addictions.

Raven had never experienced these highs for herself, but she had felt the emotions that came with the hard crashes of intoxication through her empathy, and simply feeling that was telling enough for her. The certain high that she was currently feeling at the moment did not feel temporary, neither did it hint at a dangerous crash. Instead, it all felt very safe and lasting even if it did make her feel almost every single emotion that someone ridiculously inebriated would feel.

A  _happy_  drunk, if you will.

Raven felt as if this very moment in time, her twentieth birthday, could very well be the  _greatest_  moment of her entire life. As far as she could tell, the fun that she was having was the most fun that she would ever have again because it would be impossible to replicate this  _amazing_  mood that she was in. She was laughing at everything, tripping over her own feet, and laughing because she was tripping over her own feet. She felt happy, and free, and silly, and absolutely giddy— _not_  neutral. Although she was completely sober, she did not feel like it at all, and she  _knew_  that it was because of her feelings for Richard.

Chemistry.

In other words: the one and only explanation that Raven could come up with in order to explain all of this  _giddiness_.

From the very first moment that they had met, Richard's aura was one that always had a tendency to throw Raven's senses out of kilter—off balance; not neutral. He had an intense personality,  _incredibly_  intense, and he felt everything so strongly. This alone explained just why his circle of close friends was so small; a personality like his either drew people to him or pushed them away, all depending on whether or not the sheer intensity could be handled. Luckily for them both, she was his best friend. Their personalities were very similar, both dark and intense, although hers was much more understated. As a result of this and their bond, any energy that he happened to release flowed through her quite easily.

Raven had been drawing and taking in such chipper and gleeful energies from him all night and through to the morning, both of these emotions incredibly intoxicating. This was not the first time that she had drawn energies such as these from him. It was, however, the first time that she had done so with these new  _feelings_. The fact that he was her best friend, that he shared a bond with her and had been in such close, physical contact with her all night seemed to send her empathy into overdrive. Her brain, heart, and emotions had all collided into each other with a definitive crash.

And  _poof_!

Raven had gotten drunk off of  _him_ , and the one resolution that she had for this was plain and simple: sleep it off.

In  _his_  bed, of course.

**_._ **

It was well into the evening when Raven had woken up.

Waking up at such at time was a strange occurrence, especially when one considered the fact that she did not even allow herself to take midday naps in fear of disrupting her sleeping pattern. This time however, her body needed this period of rest. As soon as their highs had finally begun to die down and flicker out, she and Richard had sneaked back into the Tower and into his room at around three in the afternoon, collapsing onto the bed beside one another.

_"What do we do when the team starts to look for us? It's still my birthday."_

_"We stay asleep."_

That was all the permission that Raven needed just to avoid the guilt trip that she would undoubtedly incur. She was fully aware that her friends ( _family_ , really) were planning something for her, this was very true, but she was also tired and in no mood for any surprises. But she had warned Victor of their absence, and she was sure that he would vouch for them both.

Raven buried her face into her pillow with a light groan, scratching the itch off of her nose with the soft cotton. She had slept for five hours straight, and had even slept before they had gone on their little adventure, but she was still tired. Richard was Batman's protégé, and as such, was used to such non-stop activities with no resting periods; this was how he was trained. Raven, even as a superhero, could not compete with the training of the Dark Knight.

"Richard," she growled into her pillow, her fingers fisting it tight in her hands. "If my sleep schedule ends up as bad as yours after this, I will  _end you_. And that is a promise that you and I both know will  _not_  be broken."

He snorted. "You'll be fine. Just go through a few training simulations in the morning and you'll be straight. That's what I did, Princess."

Raven's stomach turned, and it was not because of that nickname this time (surprisingly enough). It was because she was trying  _really_  hard not to imagine him working out and breezing through those training simulations.

He really should  _not_  have mentioned that to her. Not now.

She raised her head from its place in her pillow to glare at him, lifting her body up with her elbows, and her face fell a bit once she discovered that he was no longer laying beside her; that explained why she had woken up with no fingers playing in her hair. Her brows shifted a bit as she watched the empty spot, right before she finally looked to his desk and found him sitting there, reading a book. It was  _Raven's_ book—the very same book that he had taken from her when they had been outside of her bedroom just last month.

That infuriating burn made its return at that moment, forcing a barely suppressed gasp out of her mouth. This was also the moment that her brain had chosen to finally acknowledge his appearance. He looked absolutely fresh and clean, as if he had taken his sweet time in the shower to scrub away all of the dirt and grime of their long day— _another_  image of her best friend that she did not need floating around in her head. His hair was up in that little man-bun and he was wearing a black hoodie along with a pair of sweats, looking like he could be the cover model of GQ Magazine's casual Friday edition, if they even had one. He looked absolutely handsome and–

" _Gooood_ ," Lust hissed, interrupting her thought process.

Raven's fingers twitched once before she finally released her grip on her pillow and raised a hand to push her hair back. She combed her fingers through her tresses and scratched at her scalp in an effort to ignore how  _tingly_  she felt all of a sudden, because,  _sweet Azar_ , she liked him a lot.

She swallowed—Raven swallowed  _hard_ —but she could not look away from him. She refused to.

"Why are you all the way over there?"

"I just thought that maybe you wouldn't want me in bed with you this time."

"When have I ever minded sharing a bed with you?"

As soon as those words left her mouth, that strange emotion of his jabbed at the thin wall that veiled their bond and poked a single hole through it, making an attempt to slither its way into her subconscious before it was yanked back and away from her a bit roughly. The oddest and most bizarre part about this was not the sudden appearance that this emotion had finally made after about a month and a half. Instead, it was Richard's face which darkened with a reddish tint. It was actually a bit imperceptible, especially in the dimness of his bedroom and the fact that he was still reading that book and refusing to meet her eyes. Raven honestly would not have even noticed it if she had not known him so well and if she had not been watching him so closely, but there it was: the first crack in that ' _perfect_ ' poker face that Victor had told her about.

Raven's heart stuttered. So it was not just her feeling these  _things_ , and he had truly known of the emotion that she has been talking about the whole time. This revelation made her heart stutter one last time as her stomach tumbled almost endlessly, right before she finally decided that she needed to say  _something_  to break the silence.

"O- _oh_."

At that, he stuck a finger into the book as a placeholder and braced his hands onto the chair's arms as he prepared to stand. "Maybe I should just go–"

" _No_ ," she interrupted him before he could effectively finish that sentence. If there was one thing that she knew about her best friend, it was that he was very good at avoiding things and running away from them if he really wanted to. She was  _not_ about to take that from him. "I want you to stay."

Richard hesitated, his grip on the chair's arms tightening and letting loose several times.

Raven took that as an invitation to continue, watching him closely. Each time her eyes trailed up and down his figure, from the tips of his sock covered toes to the ball of hair that sat on top of his head, Lust herself pushed at her shackles to be released. "I wouldn't mind it at all if–"

Lust  _roared_ , taking over control of her mouth.

"–you came back into bed with me."

It was this statement that finally got him to meet her eyes. His brows shifted a bit before his eyes, quick and almost unnoticeable, flitted up and down her cloaked figure; it made her swallow again. With a shake of his head, he clenched his jaw, almost as if he had just reeled something within himself back. "I really should just go, Rae–"

Raven reached over to pull the covers on his side of the bed back before she laid down. "Put the book down and come back to bed, Richard."

Now,  _that_  was all Raven.

Richard hesitated as he watched her, his eyes widening just a bit with surprise before he managed to shake it off. He cleared his throat and swallowed. "I–I was planning on doing that."

A smile crawled onto her face because this was one of the few times that she had seen him tripped up over something like this—and all of the nervousness that he was projecting was all  _her_  handiwork. A corner of his mouth curled up as he stood, and she immediately knew that he was thinking the same. But how could she not? They had a bond, of course.

Raven's stomach was practically  _churning_  with anticipation as she watched him approach her. He took slow, almost calculating steps as if carefulness was absolutely imperative in this moment. Once he finally reached the bed, she could not help the deep breath that she took, because,  _goodness_ , he smelled  _almost_  as good as he looked. He got into the bed to lay beside her before pulling the covers over himself, and the air around them immediately became thick and staticky.

Richard raised a hand, and Raven saw how the movement stuttered for just a moment. He hesitated, and then her heart pumped a little faster as his hand moved again and his fingers came to curl, the side of one resting underneath her chin and supporting it. Raven's breath caught itself in her throat as she watched him lean in to place one, single kiss onto her forehead. His lips were warm; just as warm and soft as they always were.

"Don't worry," he spoke rather quietly, breath whispering against her skin. There were other times when he said that quietly, there were times when he practically yelled it out, and there were times when he laughed it out. But this time, the words were hushed, as if there were something delicate in the air. He released her chin and extended the flat of his thumb to her forehead. "I got it–"

Raven grabbed his hand, stopping it in mid-air before he could wipe, and she watched it–no, she watched  _their hands_  together. She did not want that forehead kiss, not this time, and she knew that he did not want it either.  _They_  did not want that forehead kiss; they wanted something else. Something more.

She met his eyes.

"Truth?" she began.

"Truth."

"I... I don't want you to wipe your kisses from my forehead," she admitted as she guided his hand to rest at her waist. "Not this time."

Truth be told, if their relationship were to ever step out of their platonic boundaries, she was sure that they both would have guessed that he would be the one to encourage it. He was the impulsive one—he  _should_  have been the one to initiate this entire moment, but it was her. She had been the one to coax him into this bed with her, and she had been the temptress. Raven had made the first step, and as strange as this sudden switch between them was, she found that she was perfectly fine with it.

Richard smiled that handsome half-smile of his. The brightness and slight cheekiness of it reminded her so much of that fourteen year old brat that she had met years ago. The hand at her waist took a firm grip and he pulled her closer to him.

"May I kiss you?"

Raven felt her breath hitch as a tiny smile—one that would have matched his had she not been so nervous—touched her lips.

When she answered him, her voice was much more stable than she thought it would be.

"Yes."

Richard's mouth inched closer to hers and her eyes fell shut, her lips parting right before he took her bottom lip between his teeth. She gasped, a quiet moan escaping her as he feasted on her flesh with soft nibbles—that felt  _amazing_. Her hands drifted and traveled to thread themselves into his hair, the flats of her fingers massaging themselves against his scalp, and a light groan full of approval resonated from his throat; he seemed to like that. Finally, he released her bottom lip from its hold between his teeth and claimed both of her lips as his own.

Sweet Azar, he  _claimed_  them.

He kissed her long, slow— _very, very slow_ —and carefully as if he wanted to cherish the moment and taste as much of her as he possibly could. He kissed her as if he wanted her to  _feel_  every one of his tongue's strokes and each of his lips movements right down to the tips of her toes, and she felt it  _all_  as those toes of hers curled tight against the flats of her feet. Raven felt every single thing that he wanted her to feel in that moment, and it made a new and unfamiliar heat boil in the pit of her stomach. This heat was different from that other one in the simple fact that it was soothing; she  _wanted_  this heat to burn her and felt no shame in admitting this.

All in all, her best friend was an  _excellent_  kisser.

The intensity of their kiss dwindled down to a series of light and delicate pecks before they broke apart. He nudged her nose with his own, and her stomach continued to turn simply because the warm breaths ghosting against her lips felt so good. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open to meet his. Those eyes of his were much darker than how she was used to seeing them.

"You're good at that."

The words fell from her lips before she could stop them. Those sounds echoed into the air between them, and she could already feel her face burning with embarrassment. But he smiled such a comforting smile, and it was one that she could not help but return, because he was just fine with what she had just said. Much to her disappointment, he released her waist and raised his hand to her mouth. With a featherlight softness, his thumb began to graze along the length of her bottom lip. It was not necessarily a wipe, not like the ones that were meant to 'cleanse' her forehead from his lips. This was a  _touch_ , one filled with reverence as if he needed to check for himself and make sure that he had really kissed her.

"Your lip balm," he began, voice hushed and quiet. His thumb continued to brush over her swollen lip, making her heart stutter and her toes curl and uncurl underneath the fabric of the sheets that covered them both. "I always wondered if it was just made to smell like that, or if it really did taste like pomegranates."

Quite frankly, Raven was still too thrown off by his eyes to give an immediate response. They were usually much brighter than this, and this was not to say that they were not at the moment. Bright and electric was how they always were, but now... There was something dark and heady about the energy inside them, and she found herself being drawn to this, her body shuffling closer like metal being attracted by a magnet.

"Do I taste like pomegranates?" she asked.

"I think I have to try again to get a better taste."

A smile slid across her face, because even though they had just finished kissing and were currently locked in such an embrace, he was still her best friend. "You're so  _spoiled_. How much more of a taste could you possibly need–"

Richard took her bottom lip between his teeth again, gently tugging on it as he nibbled on her flesh, and her eyes immediately fluttered shut as a weak and feeble moan escaped her. He grabbed for her waist once more, pulling her closer to himself, and she knew that it was done with such urgency because he already discovered just the way that she liked to be kissed.

"You taste better than pomegranates, baby."

_Baby_? Of all the nicknames he had come up with for her, she was certain that this was her absolute favorite.

"Just  _kiss_  me already–"

Richard caught her lips in a searing kiss, and with a soft and hitching moan, Raven was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to my awesome beta-reader, SpeakWhenItRains! To all my fellow writers, hit her up if you need the help. I'm also now on tumblr. I just made this account, so I'm barely on there, but you can still follow and interact with me on there. Just search for the username "dt-mars", and there I am!

xoxo

* * *

 

Chapter Five — Interlude

**_._ **

Dating.

The very notion and idea of... _that_ had never really been something Raven felt comfortable with. Just the thought of it never failed to make her feel uneasy, actually. This was a subject that she had never even desired to sit down and daydream about on her spare time, much less actually pursue; both of which she had never been granted the luxury of actually doing.

There were times when someone particularly attractive managed to capture her attention, of course. Sweet eyes and a chiseled jawline were her absolute favorite combination, a weakness that she could admit clashed violently with her heritage; almost embarrassingly so. This soft spot of hers was a guilty pleasure, a secret that no one knew about, not even her best friend. It was also a little secret that would inadvertently whisper an enticing little _what if?_ into her ears without even glancing at her direction whenever it was agitated. But that was all a pretty sight would and could ever manage to do to her: simply catch her eye and snag her interest for a moment. A very short moment; never long enough for her to garner enough confidence to even consider... doing _that_.

Oh, Azar.

Just thinking about actually pursuing it— _dating_ —sent shivers down her spine and caused goosebumps to sprout all over both of her arms.

But now? It was very... _different_ now.

It would be normal for her to simply consider going on at least one date, even if it was just for the experience. She was twenty years old, after all; the prime age for her to romantically pair up with someone else. This was evidenced by her current surroundings and countless media outlets: pheromones were in the air and blurring out the common sense of any sexual being. The lust and naturally carnal desires that previously rested within their biological systems in a state of dormancy were awakened before being shifted were shifted to sit at the forefront of their brains. Simply put: people were constantly horny and having sex like rabid animals, and this was encouraged—even for her.

This was such a pragmatic way to look at the concept of dating, but she could not help it. Raven needed to to be pragmatic about it; she had to be. If there was anything for her to be pragmatic and realistic and logical about, it was this. She needed to find a way to make sense about this phenomenon and to lay it all out in her brain in an almost impossibly organized fashion, because she was dating her best friend.

She thought that she was, anyway.

 _Azar_.

Raven was _probably_ dating her best friend—and it was okay. She just needed to find out why.

It was not that she was expecting for things to go wrong between the two of them. How could they possibly go wrong? There was a chance that she was currently dating— _ugh_ —her best friend, and things were practically perfect. But of course things were _practically perfect_ at this point of their relationship. People called it the honeymoon stage; the infatuation period. It was the primary period of any new relationship, whether it was a working relationship, a romantic relationship, or even when someone made a new friend. The excitement and enthusiasm that came with a brand new connection was normal and expected, something that always sprouted at the beginning stage of something _fresh_ and _new_.

Raven just wanted to know exactly when the excitement would wane. Would it be a little bit after or right before the relationship stopped being so fresh and new?

Cynicism might as well have been her middle name, even she could admit this. _An inclination to believe that people are motivated purely by self-interest?_ With everything she had experienced, the word actually should have been her first name; _Cynicism Roth_ had a particularly charming ring to it. There were feelings of softness and sweetness and goodness swirling and bubbling in the pit of her stomach, every single thing that the wisest of elders taught her could never be associated with someone like her, and it was a _human boy_ who showed her the complete opposite—and she was _comfortable_ with this; completely at ease.

The capability to be comfortable was incredibly important to Raven; it went hand in hand with adaptation, after all. The fact that she had become comfortable enough to even consider possibly dating anyone at all was groundbreaking in her opinion, even if this _anyone_ was her best friend. It had not even been easy for her to even genuinely like him; he was hot-headed, arrogant and a big mouthed nuisance who took his job much too seriously for a fourteen year old who had fled from the sheltering wings of his father. It took her being forced to infiltrate his mind and his soul while he was on the verge losing his sanity _just_ for her to fully trust him. Had it not been for that experience, she knew that things would be different; they would not be best friends, a fact that they were both aware of. The possibility of dating this very same boy made her uneasy, not only because of the prompting of their friendship, but because there always seemed to be an agenda when it came to things like this, always pain and hurt to expect for her.

And this time, there was not.

Raven was adapting perfectly fine to this new change, and she was completely okay with _being okay_. It was horrible, but she could not help but wonder when this stage would end; when all of these sickeningly sweet feelings would fade away. All of her comfort regarding this normally disconcerting subject had to give way for some sense of normalcy, _normalcy_ being the strange and uncomfortable feelings that plagued her when it came to... _this_.

Until then—

 _"Hopefully never!"_ the newly born romantic inside of Raven desperately pleads.

—she would indulge herself in this infamous honeymoon stage.

_**.** _

Raven's sleep schedule did end up getting just a little screwed after her birthday. It was actually almost as bad as Richard's, except no amount of training simulations helped to set hers back to normal as it did his. The only thing those simulations ever did for her was make her tired and fatigued, not _sleepy_. Evening visits to each other's bedrooms became much more frequent and lasted much longer than they usually did as a direct result of her inability to sleep. Trips to the ice cream shop also occurred much more frequently, along with the two of them sitting beside each other, closer and in the same booth, instead of across from each other and with a table separating them. They even visited the forest that "called" to him more often— _voluntarily_ on her part, and she was even the one to suggest it most of the time.

All of this was done in an effort to tire her out, just so she would be able to fall asleep at a reasonable time before having to wake up for the team's early morning trainings. But Raven knew deep, deep, _deep_ inside of herself that all of the adjustments regarding their interactions with one another had not been made because of her messed up sleep schedule.

It was because of their unofficial relationship status.

There was not a single doubt in her mind that her inability to fall asleep played a part in this. However, there was also no denying that she did not have to sit so close to him whenever they were at the ice cream shop in order to trigger her sleepiness; there was absolutely no need for it. But when he invited himself to sit beside her at their regular booth the day after they kissed, she did not decline. Raven soon discovered that she liked to feel his denim-clad thigh pressing against her own as she ate her cookies and cream flavored ice cream, along with the way that their elbows would brush whenever either of them positioned themselves in a certain manner. She _really_ liked how much easier it was to rest her head on his shoulder whenever he was waiting for her to finish her ice cream, and how much easier it was for him to kiss her forehead in the middle of a sentence. This change in their seating arrangement did not have much to do with her inability to sleep—not _too_ much—but she could pretend.

Even now, as both Raven and Richard sat in his dimly lit bedroom at two in the morning, she was doing her best to pretend that her presence there at such a late hour had everything to do with her inability to fall asleep. Once again, her inability to fall asleep played a role in the changes within their interactions, but it was not the singular and primary reason behind these changes. Conversely, it had _everything_ to do with her wanting to be near him. They were not near each other at the moment, not side by side like at the ice cream shop; he was sitting at his desk and working through some cases instead, while she sat in his bed with a book in her hands. The two of them were nowhere near each other, directly across from each other, actually—but the bedroom was _small_. It was much smaller and much more compressed than her own bedroom, and she was doing her very best to ignore it.

The soft pitter-patter of rain against a windowpane was a sound that Raven always welcomed whenever she was reading a book, especially on a late and dusky Spring night like this. It was a soothing sound, despite how erratically those little raindrops fell from the sky as they landed against a surface. The rain had the power to take control of any aura, atmosphere, and dwelling place; whenever Raven had a book in her hand, those gentle drops always took full control every time they were around. It made the air around her hazy, urged her eyesight to become foggy, and made everything else feel _soft_. This was a cozy feeling that made her want to fall asleep with the book in her hand, and it sometimes did, but the intensity inside the pages of her books brought forth a sharp contrast that always managed to balance everything out perfectly.

Such a feeling was especially welcome at a time like this.

It had never been very shocking or uncommon for anyone else on the team to come into Richard's room only to find their leader working at his desk, and his second-in-command laying on his bed with a book capturing her focus as a pleasant, comforting silence wafted in the air between them both. There were times when she did not even bring a book with her—not because she had stocked several of them in his bookshelf just in case, but because they were both fine with just talking as he worked; he always mentioned how he appreciated this companionship, and she did not mind giving this to him. There were even times when she would simply give into the exhaustion and fatigue that wracked her body, curling up underneath his blanket as sleep glided over her consciousness. The soft scribbles of his pen and the flipping of pages always worked together to create a makeshift lullaby—another one of her favorite sounds. Sometimes she would wake up in her own bed because he had carried her there; other times, she would wake up in the same spot with him fast asleep beside her.

These little moments were full of complete innocence—completely _them_ , and their friendship. Being able to continue experiencing some of this was a reminder that nothing big had changed between the two of them. But after learning for herself what an excellent kisser Richard was, being in his bed right now was _thrilling_ her. It was thrilling Lust— _exciting_ this emotion—because from just his kisses alone, it was pretty clear that he knew what he was doing. Simply considering this had her mind running with the dirtiest and most salacious thoughts; ideas that she had never even daydreamed about before his lips first touched hers, and she knew that most of this came from Lust herself. It was making it hard for her to focus on this book; distracting her.

A slow roll of thunder filled the air, practically yanking Raven out of her thoughts as a light gasp escaped her lips, just in time for her to catch the flash of lightning that flitted through the sky and momentarily lit up the dim room. She blinked a few times at the space in front of her, her blurry vision giving way for the image of broad and impeccably tanned shoulders—in other words, _not_ the book she was supposed to have been reading.

Had she been staring at him the whole time?

A short groan of frustration escaped Richard as he worked. Both the sight and sound of him made her toes curl and uncurl with excitement, her feet shifting a bit underneath the thin blanket that covered her legs— _his_ blanket on _his_ bed.

Raven's face immediately began to warm up; she _had_ been staring at him the whole time. She caught every single moment that the muscle on the upper-right side of his back, and just underneath the strap of the wife-beater he wore, tensed whenever he reached for one of the random supplies that were spread out on the desk. She also caught each involuntary flexing of his bicep whenever he stuck a pen into the little bun that sat on top of his head, right before he plucked it out to jot down a few more notes. Raven had been paying just as much attention to him as he had been working diligently at his desk; she could barely even remember reading one line from the book in her hands. Yet as embarrassed as she was, she just could not find the strength to look away.

Another clap of thunder resounded in the room with a _crash!_ , a rumbling echo trailing after it as lightning flashed again.

Instead of sticking the pen that he had been using into his hair, Richard chucked it onto the desk. It landed with a light _clat_ as he yawned, the sound low and soft as he fisted his hands and stretched his arms out above his head. Raven's stomach turned, not because of how good he looked stretching himself out like that, but because she could suddenly feel the sleepiness radiating off of him. It seemed that he had finally realized just how late it was, and although it was sweet of him to stay up with her like this because she could not sleep, she knew that she could not push him past his limits just to indulge her feelings for him. He was only human, after all.

As he lowered his arms and propped his elbows onto the desk to rest his face in his palms, Raven finally found the strength to pull her eyes away from him. She looked to the book in her hands, a little bit of shame making her stomach turn at the realization that she had barely even read half a page; not consciously, anyway—she needed to leave. With that final thought, she closed the book and pulled the thin blanket off of herself to stand from the bed.

Raven made her way to the door as carefully as she could without drawing too much attention to herself, the socks on her feet suppressing the sound of each footstep. That stupid door would be the one to give her away with that whole _swoosh_ -ing sound, since nothing inside of this Tower worked even remotely normally, but she doubted that he would notice with how sleepy he was—

"Rae?"

Azar, she could have just _teleported_ to her bedroom.

"You leaving already?"

Raven rolled her eyes up to the ceiling at her own stupidity. She allowed a little sigh to slip past her lips before spinning on the heels of her feet to face him, the inside of her chest expanding a little at the sight of him. She had seen him when he was sleepy and tired countless times before, but this was different. It was _all_ so different, even his handsomeness. Seeing him like this made her want to retract all of her original plans of leaving in order for him to sleep, just so she could indulge in his presence—and this was horribly selfish of her.

She hesitated before reclining on the door behind her. The metal was hard and cool, a soothing contrast to the warmth that was beginning to crawl onto her skin. "It's almost three in the morning. I shouldn't be keeping you up like this. It isn't right."

Richard's brows, dark and full as ever, knitted just a bit in confusion before he shook his head. "Nonsense. I'll fall asleep when you fall asleep."

She scoffed. "Don't be so spoiled."

" _I'm_ spoiled?" he asked with a smile that was much too bright and mischievous for how sleepy he was. " _You're_ the one who wanted to go on an adventure on your birthday, only to get your sleep schedule absolutely _fucked_ —"

Raven palmed her face with a sigh and a shake of her head. "Richard, that _mouth_."

He laughed a warm laugh.

The sound of it was quite comforting, as it always was, and it tugged both sides of her mouth upwards as she continued to hide her face behind her hand; she liked that. With another shake of her head, she removed her hand from its position over her face to meet his eyes. Goodness, he was so handsome; how had it taken so long for her to notice _this_? How had it taken one _kiss_ for her to notice this? She pushed her fingers through her hair with a huff, combing the tendrils back and away from her face before using both of her hands to clutch onto her book.

"It'll take me at least two more hours to fall asleep. You know that."

"I don't mind."

There was a little smile on his face, one that made her stomach do a flip and continued to tug at the one that was fighting to stretch her own lips. She pursed them and fought that smile right back as valiantly as she could. "That's very sweet of you, but I can't keep doing this to you."

He shrugged the comment off. "So, you aren't staying the night?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Why not?"

Raven almost scoffed at the question. "This isn't my room."

"So?" he countered without missing a beat, an eyebrow of his arching with suspicion. "You've stayed the night over here many times before."

"Well, that was before–"

"Before we kissed. I noticed."

The sharp feeling of embarrassment immediately began to consume and overwhelm her senses; along with the feeling of shame, an emotion that she rarely ever felt when it came to him. It felt like her entire face was ready to burn off, much less her cheeks, and fall right in front of her sock covered toes as she ground her teeth and set her jaw. This was the first time that either of them had brought the kiss up, and for some reason, this sudden mentioning of that made her very aware of the rain she had somehow forgotten was still falling outside. She was not quite sure how to feel about this _kiss_ topic.

"That's not what I was going to say."

"But it's the truth."

Raven crossed her arms in an effort to collect herself. "You were trained by the world's greatest detective. Of course _you_ would notice—"

"You haven't stayed the night over here since."

There was just a slight frown marring Richard's handsome features as he watched her from his seat. The downward slope of his mouth incredibly subtle, but it was enough for her. He looked... _hurt_. Raven could feel this unsettling emotion of his pouring out of him and reaching out to her, attempting to touch her. Every one of her senses had always been more sensitive when it came to him; it had always been easier to feel what he was feeling, and to empathize with him. In this moment, she felt like she was hurting along with him.

She swallowed, hard and slow, before releasing a sigh through her nose. "It's not like I meant to do that. It's just... This is different. This is _very_ different, and I guess that stopping myself from staying the night over here was sort of a subconscious decision and action. And this isn't—this isn't my bedroom."

A corner of Richard's mouth curved up as he leaned forward in his seat to rest his elbows on his thighs in effort to meet her eyes a bit more directly. He rested his chin in a palm. "You obviously haven't noticed, but this is absolutely your room. Most of the books in my bookshelf belong to you, and you've got some spare clothes in the closet, along with a spare uniform. Rae, you've even got some _panties_ in one of my drawers."

"I forgot to collect those after our last sleepover."

"Come on, Raven."

He seemed to be pleading with her. The desperation laced within his voice made Raven pull her arms closer to herself as she clutched onto her book with what seemed to be a death grip. Considering how difficult she was being, she had to admit that he was being pretty patient with her; he had _been_ patient with her ever since he discovered the reason behind the inadvertent end she had put to their sleepovers. This change which had sprouted between them was not a difficult one to become acclimated to when one considered just how close they were, but it was just a bit unsettling for her. She knew that he could tell because he was her best friend, and the fact that this was something that had not changed eased her nerves.

It was silent in the room as the two friends watched each other carefully, both of them unsure of what to say.

Richard was the first to look away, and Raven immediately felt the guilt; this was all her fault. _She_ was the one being difficult, and _she_ was the one who was afraid of all this. But she could not help it, even it this was her best friend, and seeing him so torn over this situation had her nerves wracked with guilt and shame. The hand that was bracing his chin fell to hang between his thighs, along with the other one, as he looked to his feet. He was hesitating— _visibly_ —as both of his hands fisted and uncurled, his mouth fighting and searching for the proper words to say. It was so strange for this to be happening, because the both of them always knew what to say to the other. But not now. Now, it was different, _so different_ , and she was not sure—

He raised his chin to meet her eyes.

She took in a slow breath.

"This room is just as much yours as it is mine."

The sincerity and conviction within his voice gently caressed her ears as his eyes burned brightly with earnest. There was a subtle undertone imbedded deep within that one sentence, and it made her stomach turn. A conversation as serious as this seemed like it should have been discussed at an office, or even in a café over a cup of coffee. But it was happening in his bedroom, and the dimness of the small space provided her with a strange sense of comfort during such an intimate moment.

Raven pursed her lips a bit at the realization of what was happening. The two of them were finally going to put a name to this _thing_ between them, and the thought of such a thing was almost staggering to consider. It made her take in a sharp breath and look away from those bright eyes in an effort to alleviate some of the heaviness she felt in her chest. There was such a strange discomforting feeling that was steadily overwhelming her, but just knowing that she was doing this with her best friend made her feel much more complacent. It gave her a bit of hope.

Her eyes focused in on the window and on the rain that was falling from the dark sky. "So... This is real?"

"Yeah. I mean, unless you don't—"

"No," she interrupted as she met his eyes. "I do."

"Good. Me too."

The corners of his mouth were slowly curving up to create a smile, such a handsome one, and she felt the heat on her face increase. She fought the urge to look away, shaking her head instead as a tiny smile of her own spread across her lips, simply because he was such a brat.

"I want this, Raven," he continued while pushing himself up in his seat to recline into the chair. At that moment, it dawned on her that this boy really did get everything he wanted.

"I want _you_."

Including her.

His blatant confession made her heart skip at least four beats. Perhaps she had just gotten what she wanted this time, too. It came with eyes that were sweeter than a bakery shop, along with a sharp jawline that probably had the potential to cut through a boulder.

"You're spoiled," she countered.

Richard simply held a hand out and continued to smile. "This bedroom is yours, Raven, along with everything in it."

There were certainly no undertones or anything subtle about _that_ declaration. He was offering himself to her, himself and everything that was his. All she had to do was say the word and he would be hers— _all hers and only hers_ —and no one would be able to take him from her. Instead of making her own verbal declaration, she uncrossed her arms and pushed herself off of the door before making her way over to him. Her heart sped up with a strange mixture of nervousness and excitement as she placed her hand into the one he had held out for her.

Richard closed his hand over hers, and the very same emotion that he had constantly been hiding from her immediately penetrated her senses. She remembered just how badly this little emotion of his would try to poke and sneak its way through their bond, and to her. It was free now to touch her and overtake her senses, just as it had always wanted to do from the very beginning; it was doing just that. It was very sharp and so sudden that it was almost disconcerting, but she found that she liked this feeling of slight dizziness. It felt _wonderful_ to feel this from him, and it almost made her wonder just why he had kept something like _this_ away from her for so long.

He took the book from her with his free hand and set it onto the desk before pulling her onto his lap. The tips of his fingers grazed the small of her back, drawing little nonsensical patterns onto the clothed patch of skin, while the other hand rested on her thigh. Those bright eyes of his sparkled with something she was not used to seeing from him; not directed at her, anyway. Raven immediately felt comfortable with him like this; to be sitting in his lap with his arms around her, to be in an embrace like _this_ with _him_. It felt so good and so safe that she could not help but take his face into her hands.

The hand on her thigh took a firm hold as he pulled her closer to his body, drawing a hitched breath from her. "Raven—"

"You don't have to ask anymore."

"Good to know."

Their lips met in a slow and heated kiss, a direct contrast to just how safe and careful their first one had been. That one had been a slow and teasing burn, one that offered her an almost soothing feeling as their lips danced together; it was safe. There was nothing safe about this kiss. This one did absolutely nothing to soothe or relax her, and there was nothing even remotely teasing about this. This kiss was an immediate plunge into a fiery furnace of pleasure, one that had her flesh burning and her chest practically imploding with every single thing he was pouring into her and drawing out of her, both at the same time. This kiss was all lips and tongue, all moaning and groaning into each other's mouths, and all heavy breathing and _please make me feel good_. This kiss was getting her hot, _so hot and so bothered_ , as it agitated and scratched at every single one of her carnal senses. It was all completely overwhelming, but it felt so good and entirely _them_ at the same time.

Richard placed one last kiss onto her lips before pulling away to bring the onslaught of his kisses to her vulnerable neck, drawing a sharp yet quiet hiss from her as her eyes fluttered shut. There were quick little pecks that he would leave, while some kisses were open-mouthed tongue kisses that he would place right on top of her nerves. He also left nips on her neck, some gentle and absolutely sweet, while others were rough enough to leave a mark, areas that he would slowly pass his warm tongue over. He was being so incredibly attentive to her—almost _too_ attentive for her senses to handle—and all of this attentiveness of his had her mouth falling open as desperate and shuddering gasps slipped out.

Raven's fingers left their place on his face to dig themselves into his hair. She just needed something— _anything_ , really—to grab onto during this ride of pleasure. She was sure that her face was absolutely flushed and sweaty, but she did not care one bit. It all just felt so good, so good, so good…

"...good, so good," she muttered quietly. A shuddering sigh escaped her as she pressed herself closer to him. "So good. So good. So good. So good—"

"Everything in here is yours," he spoke into her neck between all of his nips, licks and kisses.

"So good, so good, so good—"

"Including me, Princess."

 _Holy_ —

_Smash!_

They broke apart with a gasp, only to discover that the lightbulb which had been screwed into the lamp on his desk had completely shattered.

Raven's face immediately began to burn with embarrassment at what had just happened. This boy had her vocalizing the very thoughts that belonged strictly to her brain _and_ had her powers sneaking out of her control, just with his lips alone. She pursed her lips while attempting to manage her heavy breaths and met his eyes, her stomach tumbling with pride at the sight of how dilated his pupils were—because _she_ had been the one to draw such a reaction out of him. Even with the sleepiness that continued to line his eyes, he looked absolutely gorgeous like this; she had to admit that this was a pretty difficult sight to ignore.

"Oops."

A low and easy chuckle rolled out of his mouth, one that served to make her feel just a little bit better while drawing a tiny smile out of her. The hand at her thigh gripped her flesh a little tighter, pulling her even closer to him before he kissed her forehead.

"It's fine," he spoke against her skin before he moved a bit lower, just enough to peck the tip of her nose. "It's fine." Her lips. "It's fine." Her chin. "It's fine, it's fine, it's fine," he continued to repeat as he placed tender little kisses all over her face.

Her eyes fell shut before she could stop them. As his lips reached her neck once again, he nibbled and nuzzled the sensitive skin there, his warm breath tickling just a little as he continued to whisper those two words to her:

"It's fine. It's fine. It's fine."

A soft moan slipped past her lips, along with a whisper of his name, as her fingers tangled themselves in his hair. _It was all just so good_. So, Raven allowed herself to forget all about that lamp and smiled.

"It's fine," she breathed quietly.

And it was.


End file.
